Swallowed by the Sea
by Zoe-eoZ
Summary: When her car swerves off the road and into the ocean, Bonnie Bennett and her passenger are doomed to die as the water swallows them up. But as fate has it, two men are working by the shore just then, witnessing it all, and thanks to their rather unusual diving talent, the two girls might have a chance to survive after all. Probably Bamon and Carenzo, and... mermen?
1. Swallowed by the sea

_Hello. This is... something. An idea, a teaser perhaps, a prologue; something wide open and I'm not sure it's going anywhere yet. But here it is anyways._

_Also: this is probably going to be Bamon and Carenzo, if it's going to be anything._

_As always, thanks to anyone reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts._

* * *

…

As a startled deer runs straight into Bonnie Bennett's car, her head smacks hard against the steering wheel, the car beginning to swerve, finding a way off the paved road and straight toward a cliff, the oblivious ocean looming below, and with a big leap it jumps right in.

It's a small silver car, the color of a fish, its occupants hanging lifelessly in their seats, not even stirring when the loud splash of the water shakes the vehicle, sending it swimming, then sinking.

…

It has been a calm day up until this point. The two men have been working with their small knives, scraping away at the rocks near the tide pools. Their fingers are numb from the cold water, their bare feet sore from hours and hours of walking across the rough surface to get to the treasure they're out here to collect: mussels.

The explosive sound erupting not far behind them is an almost welcome distraction and they exchange a glance, bright eyes meeting dark, before they turn around again, springing into action. Scrambling to their feet, one roughly nudges his companion.

"We gotta get them out of the water."

"What?"

"Whoever's been driving the car - we have to get them out."

Damon Salvatore doesn't wait for a reply, doesn't see the answering nod, because he's already turning toward the water, his feet carrying him across the rocks until he's closer to the open ocean. Behind him, he can hear his friend following along, Enzo's feet making the same harsh noise as his own against the too rough ground. They'll pay for this. The next few days they'll be in awful pain, their feet getting ripped to shreds on the rocks, but what does it matter when there's someone fighting for their life out there?

So, with one determined leap, Damon goes into the water, looking up as if to follow the trajectory the car must have taken on its way down.

_Okay_, he thinks, the car is somewhere out there, and its driver doesn't have much time. Because these people, whoever they are, they're almost certainly not like him, or Enzo, or any of their kind. Whoever is down there needs to get out of the water, and fast.

With only a vague idea, he swims out toward the depth of the sea, letting the water swallow him as he begins his dive, confident that Enzo is somewhere behind him, doing the same. His arms are parting the water, creating whirls that propel him forward, ever deeper, where the water grows colder, the light dimmer.

Then he sees her, a sleeping figure lolling in the water that has entered her silvery cage, brown tresses like seaweed swaying around her head, obscuring her face with every other whoosh of water, yet it's enough for him to get a glimpse of soft features, colored like the earth he usually stays away from.

Not now.

This woman needs his help, and he's not so heartless as to let her die, no matter what his father has ingrained in him over the years. Not everything coming from the land is bad.

A touch against his shoulder makes him whirl around just as he's begun busying himself with trying to find a way inside the car, and Enzo's face appears before him, features hard as he signs to Damon.

_~ Guiseppe won't like this. ~_

_~ Sucks for him. ~_

_~ Damon… ~_

_~ Since when do you care what my father will or won't like? He didn't like Lily's decision concerning you either, _sailor_. I'm sure I don't have to remind you… ~_

Damon can't help a small smile crossing his features at the grim glare Enzo shoots him. Then he turns away again to focus back on the stranger. Her time is running out.

And she's not alone. There's another girl in there with her, her hair a halo around her face, her eyelids fluttering as she struggles against unconsciousness.

When the door won't budge, he swims over to the back, using his knife to hack against the window until it breaks. There is no time to wait for the glittery fragments to settle so he pushes himself into the space beside the girls, fumbling with their seatbelts before using his trusty knife yet again to cut the band apart.

Now to get them out of here…

An ominous squeaking sound makes him brace himself, and he motions for Enzo to take one girl while he takes the other. He wraps his arms around her waist, and for the first time feels her skin against his, her bare midriff grazing his arm and it's as if a bolt of electricity goes through him, which of course is a silly thought.

_~ Hurry, mate, that thing is going down the trench. ~_

Enzo is there now, holding the other girl in his arm while Damon is still busy getting the earthen creature out of her wet almost-grave. He's pushing a way out from inside, never letting go of the girl.

His mind is awhirl, not unlike the growing pull of water around them as the car's descent accelerates. Enzo is right, it's headed for the depth of the trench, and not even he could survive down there. No one can. They need to hurry before the vortex grows too strong for them.

_Shit_, he curses as he feels the water tug on his legs, his body, feels the temperature sink dramatically. It's too cold, too dark, the pressure of the water growing as the car pulls them down. Maybe if he'd let go of the girl... She's probably dead already anyways.

_~ Damon! ~_

He doesn't realize it until it's almost too late, how he is drifting down further and further, just letting it happen, his legs, his arms so tired, his head so empty.

Enzo's sudden grip on his left arm pulls him back, literally and figuratively, but he stares at his friend with wonder for another few seconds, watching bubbles spiral out from where the other man is trying to get both him and the girls up toward the surface now, before he finally shakes himself out of his strange stupor and uses his legs again, fast strokes to help get them all up, up, up - until they finally break through the surface, where he takes a big heaving breath, then checks on the lifeless girl still in his arm, treading water as he does.

She's not breathing.

His hair is plastered to his face, he can barely see. They're further out now, the shoreline smaller in the distance.

"We gotta get her out of here, do CPR," he half wheezes out toward Enzo, who shakes wet hair out of his face and nods before they drag both girls toward land.

"Bonnie," the stranger hanging off of Enzo's arm chokes out, sputtering as the water sloshes around them, and somewhere Damon stores that information for later use.

Bonnie. So that's her name.

The ocean is cold this time of year, too cold, and he's more exhausted than he realized before, his muscles seizing up as he pushes himself to keep going. He risks a glance at the girl's soft face. The halfmoons of her dark long lashes are so still, her eyebrows almost chiseled, her lips, her cheeks too pale, and an ache spreads inside of him at watching the salty water wash over her face, wanting to claim her.

Such a beautiful face.

This girl, she can't die now, can't be dead. Please.


	2. Remember me

_I thank you guys for reading, especially those of you who reviewed! Lately I've been struggling quite a bit with writing. Nothing sounds quite right - and this chapter alone went through three different versions before it finally felt okay enough to post it here._

_No idea why that is, but to those of you who put in the extra effort and left some words: this is for you!_

_I'm hoping the next chapter after this one will come sooner, but I can't make any promises. _

_But let's delve in, shall we?_

* * *

…

Damon takes a few staggering steps, sinking to his knees in the damp sand as soon as they make it to the beach. Behind him, somewhere, he can feel rather than hear Enzo emerge out of the shorebreak with his semi-conscious passenger tripping and stumbling along. There is no time to turn around and make sure they're okay, however, no time for words, because before him in the sand lies Bonnie, this stranger that he seems to know so well already after having dragged her through the water for what seems like a long long time but can't have been much more than a few minutes.

Her eyes are closed, her lips almost blue, lips he's about to graze with his own. He leans over and, with determination, blows air into her lungs. That first breath is jolting, intimate, but soon he's in a zone, barely even registering that Enzo has come over to assist him, until his friend grabs his arm, staring at him sternly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Damon asks him, pulling his arm away. His brows turn up in an angry arch, but as usual, Enzo doesn't fall for it.

"She's gone, Damon."

Gritting his teeth, he shakes his head.

"No."

He has no idea why it is so important to him, but this woman, he needs her to live.

"Damon."

Without thinking, he shoves Enzo away, then continues his CPR attempts. A breath, then hard pushes down onto her chest, and repeat - until he's sure he's breaking ribs. So be it, if it saves her. But she doesn't begin to breathe on her own. Her prone body feels cold under his touch, making goosebumps erupt on his skin.

"Come on," he cajoles, "Breathe."

"Oh gosh. She can't be dead. Please! Bonnie. Bonnie!" The blonde girl with her desperate wails is not helping so Damon shoots her an annoyed glare, then decides to ignore her rather than yell at her to shut up in an unusual moment of sympathy. Poor thing looks positively shell-shocked, after all, and he can't blame her for freaking out. Because Bonnie _is_ dying, and if he's feeling distraught about that without even knowing her, then Blondie has more reason to be an emotional mess.

"Come on, Bonnie." With gritted teeth, he shakes his head, then breathes more air into her lungs. "Live."

"Damon…"

Leaning back for a moment, he squints at his friend, needing a few seconds to rest his tired arms and catch his breath.

"Don't, Lorenzo. If you got nothing helpful to say, shut up."

With that, he inhales deeply then moves forward to continue his task, catching a brief glimpse of the other man clenching his jaw. But instead of laying into him more, trying to convince him that saving this girl is a lost cause, Enzo surprises him when he puts his own hands where Damon's have just been and begins to push in his stead - while Damon gets to solely focus on breathing for two. Breathing for Bonnie.

Shooting his friend a silent but grateful glance, he does just that, filling his lungs, sharing the air, feeling Bonnie's cold lips against his until he's sure they're beginning to warm up again. Or is that just his own body warmth seeping through to her?

"What if she doesn't start breathing on her own?"

Enzo's words sound clipped. Trying to save a life is hard work. Damon blinks at him, growing light headed from sharing his precious oxygen with the woman before him. Without thinking, he strokes her forehead briefly before breathing for her yet again. What if she doesn't start breathing on her own, indeed? He has no freaking idea. All he knows is that he isn't going to let her die. And if that means he has to turn her . . .

Looking up to exchange a meaningful glance with his friend, he sees the silent comprehension in the other's eyes, a light tick of the jaw muscles letting Damon know how Enzo really feels.

"I can't let her die."

Instead of replying, Enzo grits his teeth more, pushing down on Bonnie's chest without pause. There's a different kind of determination in his movements now. It doesn't take a genius to know why and Damon almost smiles.

Except.

The decision is not an easy one. What if she struggles as much with this as his best friend has done for the last however many decades? What if she grows to resent him? What if this ruins her life more than death ever could. . .

She's a creature of the earth.

Closing his eyes, he takes another deep breath, bends down, breathes out into Bonnie's open mouth, his lips staying connected to hers for a split second longer this time.

What magic does she possess that he can't seem to think clearly anymore? What is it about her?

A sigh escapes him, caressing her soft skin, and he cups her face as he slowly pulls himself back up, locking gazes with Enzo once more as he begins to push up the sleeve stuck to his arm.

"Damon…"

Enzo shakes his head. Somewhere behind him, the other girl is hugging herself and crying, as if she already accepted what Damon is so reluctant to accept for himself.

"Don't."

"I have to. She's so young. She's…"

"I know. But you can't do this to her. She doesn't deserve this. Come on, mate."

Damon shakes his head. There's a struggle happening inside of him, two opposing urges battling against each other, and he already knows which one is going to win. So he brings his wrist to his mouth, gently pricking the skin there until small pebbles of blood make their way through, and just as he lowers his arm down toward her lips, he sees Enzo slam his fist against Bonnie's chest one last time before he pulls back, glaring at Damon with sudden anger. And maybe he's right to be so angry, but all Damon can focus on is the one drop of blood dripping down from his wrist, as if in slow motion, and before it quite lands in Bonnie's mouth, her eyelids begin to flutter, then open, and seaweed-green eyes stare up at him.

An involuntary smile crosses his features, then he swallows around a lump in his throat and says, "Hi."

* * *

…

The sound of the waves is like a soft murmur in the background, strong enough to make her sleepy. Yet Bonnie has just woken up even though what she sees - _who_ she sees, a stranger with piercing blue eyes staring down on her, wiping over her mouth - makes her question whether she is asleep after all. This has to be a dream. The world is a bit hazy around her, the sky above so gray - dark piles of clouds looming overhead as if the world is about to end.

Maybe it already did.

"What…" _happened_, she wants to ask but she doesn't quite get the words out, her throat feeling strangely sore as a harsh cough escapes her, making her grimace and clutch at her hurting chest. Something must have crushed her.

"You took a bit of a tumble down the cliff, sweetheart. Had to drag you out of the water. You almost drowned. But thanks to me, your very own guardian angel, you get to live another day."

_Sweetheart? Aw, hell no_. She's trying to push herself up into a sitting position, her body realizing that she was lying down before her mind has completely processed that fact. She's lying down? And why the hell is she lying in wet sand? On the beach?

They were on their way home from a little getaway…

"Caroline?" she gasps out as memory comes back in an abrupt shower of mosaic pieces, some of them still missing, some of them coming together again. Oh gosh, the car… They crashed into something, didn't they? What if Caroline is hurt? The pain in her chest becomes agonizing as she rushes up, the hand of the man before her firmly keeping her from getting up too fast.

Frowning at him with sudden anger, she tries to shove his hand away. Caroline might still be out there, Caroline. . .

"Your friend? She's okay. She's over there with my buddy Enzo. Don't worry, he looks grumpier than he is. Well… He _is _ quite grumpy but he's also English and hasn't had his tea yet, so…"

Bonnie's gaze wanders. She's not quite listening to the man anymore, who seems to be rambling too much anyways. Instead, she lets him help her to a sitting position, allowing herself to lean against him, to cling to his arm as she's searching for Caroline.

And there she is, looking wet and a bit shaken but definitely alive. She's talking to another stranger, or rather, staring at him intently while he is talking. There's something odd about that, but she can't quite pinpoint why she thinks so.

"I'm Damon by the way. Salvatore."

She turns again to look at her companion, her mouth opening as she's trying to come up with something to say, trying to process, but her mind is still so muddled.

"Damon…" His name feels soft against her palate. "Nice to meet you. I'm Bonnie. Bennett."

The smile he gives her is disarming - and a little cheeky.

"And thank you," she adds, realizing finally that his being here must mean he saved her. Her gaze falls on the ocean and she feels a lump lodge in her throat.

Deep gray whirls of water dragging her down… Does she really remember this?

"Anytime. Although, I'd prefer it if you didn't take a dive again."

Chuckling softly, she closes her eyes, feeling like she's still floating. Like she's out there in the water, the waves carrying her, rather than sitting here on the steady ground. When she opens them again, her gaze is drawn to the ocean almost immediately, as if there's something out there calling for her.

"What were you doing out here, anyways? Other than waiting to rescue a girl from drowning."

"Me? Oh, nothing special. Looking for mussels, that kinda thing."

"Mussels?"

"Yeah." He grins again and for some reason she can't look away. "We, uh, sell 'em to the local restaurant."

"Really. Does that pay decently?" She can't believe it's worth it. Taking him in completely for the first time, she notices that he's not wearing any special gear, no windbreaker, no fishing boots. In fact, his feet are bare, only a pair of old-fashioned pants and a shirt that was probably en vogue a century ago hanging off his lean frame. He's very handsome in that strange outfit, she can't deny it, but his attire also makes her wonder how hard she hit her head in the crash. There's an air of "long ago" enveloping this guy, and it makes her skin prickle. - Then again, it's also friggin' cold and her clothes are soaking wet and apparently she just almost died, so that's another good reason for a case of the goosebumps.

She looks up, gingerly putting her hand against her ribs as Damon offers her a hand.

"I think you broke my ribs," she says, and the way he chuckles in reply is both disconcerting and endearing.

"I also saved you."

Raising an eyebrow, she allows him to pull her up, very slowly, watching him shrug nonchalantly. His cocky, unapologetic behavior is getting to her. Of course he doesn't need to say "I'm sorry." He saved her after all. But...

That smile is still there.

"Which means," he continues, oblivious to her musings, "at least according to some Chinese proverb - if I remember correctly - I am now responsible for that life. Responsible for _you_, Bonnie Bennett."

She scoffs, averting her gaze, trying to think, to function.

"Yeah, right… Don't worry, though, I'll be out of your hair before…" Noticing that she's still holding his hand, she trails off, staring up at him. "I… my car is in there?" She jerks her chin at the ocean, and Damon nods in confirmation. Oh no… Patting herself down, she begins looking for her phone, then turns to search for Caroline again. "I don't have my phone. I'm… oh gosh, I don't even know how to get home now. Can't even call a frigging taxi. And even if I could, no one would accept a soaking wet customer. I'm…"

"You're gonna be okay, Bonnie. Let me take care of this."

"You got a phone?"

"Not exactly…"

"Not exactly? What does that mean? You either have one or you don't."

He sighs, and she is too tired to continue interrogating him. After all, she just survived something that should have killed her. That should make her a little more appreciative, right?

"Actually, I think Enzo has his phone," Damon interrupts her train of thought. "So why don't you sit down over here and I let him call the cops for you - an ambulance too, just to make sure you're okay," he suddenly says in a manner that seems more reserved than before, and with a weary sigh of her own, she nods.

"Okay. Thank you."

His smile is back once again, his fingers grazing her lips. When he pulls away, he wipes a dark smudge off his thumb, making her frown and touch her mouth.

"Was that blood?"

Her fingers come away clean, and Damon shakes his head, then cups her face to look at her.

His eyes are so deep, the color of the ocean, or the skies, and she knows she will drown if she doesn't look away. But she can't. For some reason, she can't.

"Just a drop. It's gone now. Was never there. You had a car accident. Went into the water but made it out yourself. You and your friend. There was no one else there. You are okay now, you are safe. Someone will come get you. As soon as they get here, I'll be nothing but the shadow of a dream. I was never here. Farewell, Bonnie Bennett. It's better this way…"

Shaking her head, she looks at him, blinking once, twice.

"What did you just say?"

"What? I didn't say anything."

She frowns. That smile...

* * *

...

"Look at me, gorgeous."

Caroline has stopped shivering. The second she noticed Damon doing something odd, bringing his arm to his lips and - biting himself? - she froze, is still frozen as she's trying to process what the hell she just saw. But now Bonnie is awake and she wants to run over to her friend, but this guy, this dark haired man in his century-old looking outfit, with his hazel-eyes that look more brown now that they are on land, has his gaze on hers, his hands clasping her arms a little too tightly, and she doesn't seem to have the power to move or speak.

_Let me go_, she maybe wants to say. _What the hell is going on here, and who are you guys?_ But she can't. It's as if her mind is going blank, and all she can focus on are his eyes, so deep and dark, pulling her in like the water did before. She is about to sink and never come up, isn't she?

While she remains silently staring at him, he continues with his sonorous accented voice, "You and your friend went over the cliff. You almost drowned, your friend almost died, but Damon here resuscitated her. You're a bit cold but otherwise fine and you won't quite remember the whole ordeal."

"The blood. . ."

He doesn't bat an eye, doesn't seem to need to check what she means as she weakly tries to point to where this Damon is now gently keeping Bonnie from getting up too quickly.

"He scratched himself while getting her out of the car. It's nothing. - You won't remember the blood. You won't remember much more than that you made it out of the water alright. You'll be fine."

"Will I remember you?"

What a weird question. She doesn't even know why she's asking it, doesn't know why she isn't asking what she probably should: why the hell he's saying such nonsense. His words should alarm her, but they don't. He's talking as if he has some secret power that can make her forget. What a silly thought. Surely, this is just his way of trying to calm her down.

Gnawing on her lower lip, she waits for his reply, her body growing weary as she does. She needs to lie down somewhere, maybe have a glass or two of wine first. Give Bonnie a big, big hug. She almost lost her…

The stranger before her licks his lips, then presses them together until she can see the muscles in his cheeks stand out. There's so much tension in him.

"I'm Caroline," she says when he still doesn't say anything, then she smiles, a little wobbly, but it will have to do. She extends her hand, but his is still gripping her arm, and the way he cocks his head to take her in makes her falter a bit before she puts hers down again. "Okayyyy then. Do you mind if I go over to my friend now?"

A flicker, a sudden sensation like losing gravity, and she sways. She must have lost a few seconds there because the next thing she knows, she's in his arms, flush against his chest, looking up.

"I'm sorry."

"You'll be fine," is all he says in reply, then, when she fumbles for something to hold onto, grabbing his soaking wet shirt, he pushes her back to her feet, giving her a last look, before he lets go of her. "Go."

And she does. She pulls away, shooting one last look at him before she does, vaguely noticing that she's accidentally ripped off one of the buttons of his shirt. The small, coin-like token feels soft and cool in her hand, and even though deep down she knows she should just apologize and hand it over to him, she doesn't. The button is hers now, something to remember.

"Bonnie." Saying the name seems to jolt her out of whatever haze she was in before, and already the conversation with the stranger is fading from her conscience, seeping away like the warmth of her body.

They need to get out of their soaking wet clothes.

"Bon! Oh my gosh, are you alright?" She is running now, bridging the few feet to where her friend is standing now, a slightly dazed look on her face. "Are you okay? Oh, Bonnie, you gave me such a scare. For a second I thought, I…" _had lost you…_

She can't say it out loud, as if saying it out loud could still make it true, and that can't happen. Bonnie is her best friend. Coming to stand next to her, she hesitates a moment before wrapping the other girl in her arms.

"I'm okay, Care."

She's sobbing, she can't help it, sobbing and laughing at the same time. "Yeah? You sure?"

Bonnie is smiling. Despite what she's been through, she looks way more collected than Caroline. She looks… okay.

"I'm sure. Thanks to Damon here."

"Aw." He waves her off, smiling only at Bonnie when he replies. "Happy to help. Though, just to be clear. If you decide to go in the water at this time of year again, I suggest putting on a wet suit. And… park that car of yours first."

Bonnie rolls her eyes, but smiles, and for some reason Caroline feels like she missed something. A little helpless, she looks away, her gaze meeting that of the other stranger. _Her _stranger. He's standing a little off to the side now, arms by his sides, an unreadable expression on his face as he stares at her.

In her hand she's still holding the button.

She will remember him, right?

And why is she even wondering that? Is there something she's _not _remembering?

...


	3. Adrift

_Thank you for reading and especially for the kind feedback - also to the "Guests" and Kamille King. :)_

* * *

…

_~ What the hell were you thinking?! ~_

Guiseppe Salvatore struts into the med bay with the air of someone used to power, his head held high, chin like an arrow pointing at his eldest son and the kid's obnoxious sidekick - Lily's little pet-sailor. There's always something when it comes to these two, and today is no different. Here they sit, their legs up as some busy nurses attend to their shredded looking feet, and the brief flicker of sympathy he feels over remembering that same pain vanishes as soon as Damon looks up with his trademark grin.

The boy is all sky-blue eyes and cocky attitude, and for the umpteenth time Guiseppe has to wonder how that boy can be his, can be one of them. Even the sailor looks more like someone born for the sea…

_~ Oh we're fine ~, _Damon informs him. _~ Thanks for your concern. ~_

Guiseppe has to fight the urge to snap back. Taking a deep breath, he folds his arms in front of him, baring his strong lower arms as he does. The too bright light in the room catches on the bracelets adorning his wrists, corals and pearls shining with vibrant verve. But Guiseppe doesn't even notice it anymore, doesn't see how Damon's gaze lingers on them for a moment too long.

_~ I didn't ask whether you're fine ~, _he says, coming to stand in front of the two young men, and it doesn't escape him how Lorenzo averts his gaze while Damon still grins at him as if he didn't have a care in the world. _~ That girl… Did you turn her? ~_

Rumor travels fast in the kingdom. Damon doesn't seem surprised that his father knows, the grin still bowing his mouth upward in a way that makes Guiseppe angry.

What is it with that kid?

_~ I don't know. ~_

He's taken aback. For a second he thinks the boy just read his mind, but then he scoffs to himself when he realizes that Damon simply answered his question.

_~ You don't know? ~_

Damon shrugs, stifling a wince when the nurse wraps his left foot.

"I'm sorry," she mutters, "Almost done."

The smile Damon gives her in return is genuine, sending a sting through Guiseppe.

_~ You gave her your blood, didn't you? ~_

_~ Father… ~_

Damon's sigh sounds weary, making Guiseppe flex his arm muscles on instinct. The kid has the rare talent of getting under his skin, with the smallest, most innocent gestures.

_~ Did you give her your blood, or not? ~_

_~ I did. Yeah. So what? She was dying. I saved her. ~_

_~ You turned her. Without permission! ~_

_~ Actually… ~ _Damon's grin is so wide now that Guiseppe has to grit his teeth so as not to lunge at him. ~ _I'm not sure I did. Right, Enzo? Word is still out on what really happened. She woke up right when the blood entered her system. So maybe I did turn her, but it's just as likely I didn't. ~_

Guiseppe is at Damon's throat within seconds, clutching it so hard that the boy makes choking noises. Anger had won once again, as it always does. The poor nurses have jumped to the side out of instinct, but Damon - despite his lack of air - is still grinning, and… his friend has the audacity to grip Guiseppe's arm, hard.

_~ Let go of me, _sailor _~, _he spits, shooting the kid a death-glare that doesn't seem to get through to him. These boys need to learn respect, that much is sure. And if nothing else, he's going to make sure they will. When he is done with them here.

"You let go of him first."

Kid doesn't even use his inner voice. Maybe because he never really learned how. Chuckling, he rolls his eyes. Lily and her projects… She's too lax. Or the kid is just a failure. Would explain why he's so fond of Guiseppe's sad excuse of a son.

With a huff, he turns to glare at Lorenzo, tilting his head. He takes his time, just staring at him for a moment. Then he sends out a telepathic probe so strong that the poor boy grits his teeth, his knees soon buckling, eyes rolling back into his skull as he fights Guiseppe's onslaught.

_~ Father, stop. ~ _"Stop!"

Damon's choked out outrage is not too surprising, neither is the way he tries to fight. The long time it takes his friend to finally let go of Guiseppe's arm and collapse, however, is. Maybe the kid isn't as weak and useless as he thought. Good to know…

Turning his attention back to where Damon is still dangling off his arm, his lips taking on a bluish tinge, a smile comes over Guiseppe's features before he lets go, allowing his son to take a few heaving breaths.

_~ You should teach your friend some manners. Or tell your mother to do so. Otherwise… ~_

_~ Leave him alone, Guiseppe. ~_

Damon is rubbing a hand over his throat, glaring at him, and now it's his father's turn to grin a cocky grin. Taking his son in - the still damp hair, the fresh set of clothes and bandaged feet - he clicks his tongue. The boy is too privileged, doesn't show respect. The only fights he's ever had to fight were those against his own flesh and blood. It's about time something changes.

_~ Clean this up before it becomes a mess. Find that girl. ~_

_~ I don't know where she is. Plus, what does it matter? If she doesn't randomly manage to dive into the ocean before the next full moon - and I highly doubt she'll go anywhere near it again anytime soon - she'll be alright. No new "mermaid" for you to worry about. ~_

The aloof expression on Damon's face makes Guiseppe want to smash something. Instead, he suffices himself with slapping the boy's face hard, splitting his lip. The sting it leaves on his hand is more painful than the flicker of betrayal in his son's eyes.

_~ Find her, Damon. Make sure she stays out of the water. I don't need anymore Turned in my realm than I already have. ~_ To underscore his point, he jerks his head in the direction of the slumped figure on the ground. _~ So you better make it work. I don't care how. But you are not welcome here anymore until I am assured the girl is no threat to us in any way. ~_

_~ Aw, come on. You're being ridiculous. ~_

Damon chuckles, shaking his head. As usual the boy doesn't take him seriously.

_~ Fix this and you can come back. If not… I'll see to it myself that you'll never set foot near the ocean again. - And… ~ _He snorts with disgust. _~ Make sure you take this one with you. ~_

Those are his last words, no goodbye, nothing. He merely turns around and stalks off the way he came. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Damon open his mouth as if he's going to say something out loud, a retort, an insult perhaps. But then he remains quiet, and Guiseppe leaves feeling slightly less irate. Maybe sending him away will take care of everything that is wrong with his realm: Damon, this potentially turned girl, and his wife's mongrel.

He sniffs, rolling his shoulders, his arms, breathing in the ocean air once he is outside. Then he walks over to the edge of the cliff and - with a deep inhalation - dives down. There is nothing the water can't calm. It can't fix all wrongs, but at least it can soothe them like it soothes him. And when it finally envelopes him like one large heavy blanket, he already feels much better.

Maybe there's hope still after all, for his peace of mind, for the people of the sea, even for Damon.

* * *

…

The hospital is bustling with people, a low drone of noises lodging in Bonnie's ringing ears as she sits on a bed, legs dangling off the side. She clutches the edge, her knuckles protruding white - until she feels a soft touch on the back of her hand, and when she looks up, Caroline's face appears before her, all tousled hair and soft smile.

"Hey."

Bonnie sighs, leaning forward into a hug.

"They let you go already?" she asks, and her friend nods, then grabs her hands.

"What about you?"

"They want to keep me overnight. Apparently I'm surprisingly healthy despite the accident, but the fact that I can't seem to remember a thing about how we even got to the hospital has them worried." She pauses, squinting at Caroline. "How _did _we get here, anyways?"

The sheepish look she gets in reply makes her frown.

"What are you not telling me?"

Leaning in conspiratorially, Caroline whispers into her ear, her hand still clutching Bonnie's.

"I don't know either. I remember us crashing into something, and the next thing I know… we're at the hospital, and…" She trails off, shrugging.

"And they didn't make _you_ stay?"

The sheepish expression intensifies before Caroline looks away with an awkward grin.

"I may have… fibbed a bit? Told them we walked here, and some nice Samaritans gave us a ride at some point."

Raising her eyebrows, Bonnie takes her friend in, then scoffs.

"Samaritans, huh? And they believed that? - Why didn't I think of that?" She sighs, burying her face in her hands before peeking out at Caroline again. "I just wanna go home, Care."

"I know."

"Isn't it weird that we don't remember, though? I mean… what the hell happened to us?"

Caroline shrugs, then flops down on the bed, too. She's fidgeting a bit, and Bonnie's gaze falls on her hand that keeps playing with something. Furrowing her brow, she taps her friend's fingers.

"What's that?" she asks, making Caroline look up.

"What?"

"In your hand?"

"Oh…" A frown appears on Caroline's face, a lost expression coming over her as she unfolds her hand, a small object sitting on her palm. A button. Staring up at Bonnie, Caroline bites her lip, shrugging. "I have no idea where it came from. It was just there, and I…"

She holds it out, chuckling as her cheeks take on some color. It's a small button, a hint of iridescence making it shine, and Bonnie can't help but reach out and touch it. It feels cool and smooth, and reminds her of the sea - which is a peculiar thought. Scoffing to herself, she shakes her head. The sea and a button. She must have really suffered quite the concussion if she sees a connection that clearly isn't there.

"Maybe one of those 'good Samaritans' gave it to you," she jokes, making Caroline roll her eyes, but then they exchange a glance and both fall silent. The whole situation is too weird, their case of amnesia disconcerting.

Gnawing on her lip, Bonnie rubs her hands over her face. She's tired and achy, exhausted to the bone, and yet she can't lie down in this bed, can't shake the feeling that there's more to it all. She survived a car crash, she remembers that much, but everything after that is fuzzy. It feels unreal, and like she's missing more than just a few details.

Closing her eyes, she sighs, Caroline's hand gripping hers again.

"You alright, Bonnie?"

"Ya, ya, sure."

"I know what 'sure' means…"

Looking up, she rolls her eyes, then laughs anyways, pressing a hand over her chest as a sudden pain makes her gasp.

"You sure you're okay? Maybe I should get a nurse…"

Caroline trails off as Bonnie grabs her arm, shaking her head. She has no idea why, but she really doesn't want someone to come check on her again.

"I'm fine," she mutters, taking a few shaky breaths while her friend watches her with obvious concern. "Really, Care. I'm fine. Doctor said my ribs are bruised. Apparently in a way that suggests someone did CPR on me."

"CPR?! Oh gosh, Bonnie, but… how do I not remember something as important as that? Why didn't you tell me-"

"Because I'm fine, Care. Okay? And I'm telling you now. I know as much about it as you do."

Caroline's features soften, and Bonnie looks away, with her hand still absently rubbing the spot over her heart.

"I called your Grams, by the way. And my mom. They're on their way…"

Bonnie nods, a half-hearted smile crossing her features as she looks at Caroline before something else catches her attention.

A nurse is coming over to them, her expression all business. She's holding out a cup of water, handing it to Bonnie.

"Here," she says, shaking a small pill into Bonnie's hand. "Swallow this. It'll help with the pain. And then you should lie down, Ms. Bennett. Someone will come by in a bit to bring you upstairs."

"I'm really fine. Can't I just go home? Please?"

A small smile appears on the nurse's face, her features growing softer.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but we're gonna have to monitor you for at least 24 hours. It's standard procedure and I'd really advise against challenging me on this."

Bonnie huffs, shoulders slumping. Tilting her head, she looks up at the nurse again, ready to argue more, when a sudden zap of - memory? - makes her gaze get drawn to the cup of water in her hand.

_Sweetheart._

Blue eyes, a wide grin, a young face, an air of something old, and water… cool, soothing, pulling her away.

"What are you doing?"

Startling, she looks up at Caroline, who's frowning at her in a peculiar way, then nodding at the cup in Bonnie's hand. Her other hand is half immersed in it, her fingers cold and wet. With a sheepish grimace, she pulls her hand out, watching droplets fall away before she wipes it on her leg. She can feel the nurse's gaze on her, can feel both the woman and Caroline exchange a glance over her head, and yet can't make herself look up, because… Why the hell did she just put her hand in a cup of water?

"Maybe you're right," she allows, her voice so weak it's not much more than a whisper. Then she puts the pill in her mouth, sips the water and downs it all quickly before pulling her legs up and onto the bed. "I better lie down for a bit."

As soon as her head comes to rest on the pillow, a sudden sense of urgency comes over her, the feeling of floating on water back stronger than before, and she grips Caroline's hand.

"Can you stay with me?"

"Of course!"

Caroline's smile is warm and familiar, the way she gently strokes Bonnie's cheek now making her relax the tiniest bit. She's just exhausted, right? Her mind is conjuring up random things in order to cope with what she's been through. That's all.

It has to be.

Closing her eyes, still clutching Caroline's hand, Bonnie forces herself to take slow even breaths, and think of something other than the water, and soon, soon sleep is dragging her down further and further, the whirls of it turning gray, steelblue, then greenish, ever murkier, until she's almost gone, almost asleep.

And then she sees him, the one with eyes like the sky, and she jolts back awake. She tries to sit up, but Caroline gently keeps her down.

"Bonnie. You really need to try and sleep!"

"Damon."

Caroline looks at her with concern, a mound appearing between her raised eyebrows.

"What? Who's Damon?"

"I have no idea…"

...


	4. Pull

_For "Guest", Kamille King, graviie, and EvaMedina._

_We're getting there, slowly…_

_Kamille: I know, I'm sorry. This is a bit slow and chapters so far not very long. I'm trying to keep the wait a bit shorter between chapters, though, which kinda accounts for the chapter-length. Thanks so much for bearing with me. :)_

* * *

…

"Enzo. Time to wake up."

A splitting pain has lodged itself deep within his head, making him feel like his brain has been cloven in half, and he wants to ignore that obnoxious voice calling out to him over and over again.

"Come on, sleeping beauty, if you don't want my dear father's goons over there to not so gently manhandle you out of this place, you'll have to get the hell up now and come with me. In case you didn't hear him earlier, Guiseppe has decided to throw us out. - You're welcome by the way."

Peeling his eyes open, he blinks against the too harsh light, running a hand over his face, digging his palm against the root of his nose before being able to stare up at Damon's too chipper face.

"Aaah, there he is." A hand slams down onto his shoulder with too much force, and Enzo grimaces, then notices the offered hand and takes it, letting Damon help him up.

That bloody bastard Guiseppe got him good this time. His vision is still hazy, a sense of vertigo making him bend over. He feels himself sway dangerously, unable to fight it. But then Damon's arm comes around him, holding him up.

"Easy, my friend. Don't want you to keel over again, do we? Come on, you know how this goes. One foot in front of the other."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you and your family are bloody annoying?"

Damon chuckles. "All the time. But trust me, you'll be glad about this newest development."

Somehow he doubted it…

"We get to find the girls, make sure I didn't turn dear BonBon. Gives you a chance to see Blondie again. I saw the way you looked at her."

Damon winks at him, his grin way too wide and happy, and Enzo rolls his eyes, instantly regretting it when it makes the pain intensify.

"Shut up."

"See? Exactly what I mean."

He did not look at the girl in the way Damon is insinuating. He was trying to clean up the bloke's mess, is all. Turning his head hurts like a bitch, but he does it anyway to glare at his friend, who is of course beaming at him like this is all just going to be some fun little adventure.

"Damon…" The warning in his tone should be obvious, but the bloke doesn't seem to care. As usual.

"Hi there." Damon is waving at a bunch of Guiseppe's lackeys who are standing by the door, looking grim when they both make their way through the doors of the med bay, and Enzo notices immediately that the men stay on their heels, following them. Unease takes ahold of him, making him tense up. But Damon beside him, his arm still slung around Enzo, seems oblivious.

He sighs, shaking himself loose to try and walk without help, more annoyed than anything when a surge of dizziness almost brings him down. Again, Damon puts his arm around him, tsk-ing.

"Don't be an idiot, sailor. Dear daddy did a number on you. You need to learn to better block these attacks, my friend. One would think you've learned how after all these years, but noooo…"

Closing his eyes, Enzo sighs, forcing himself to keep going.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Whatever?" Damon chuckles. "Aw, Lorenzo. I'm beginning to think you're just this stubborn because you like to torture yourself. Is it because of Lily? You trying to pay her back or something? Come on, man. That ain't healthy. It's yesterday's grudge. You need to let her go and move on. She screwed up, we get it. Now get over it already and help me with this. With the girl."

Damon continues on without a pause, and Enzo listens, too weary to fight against any of it. Damon isn't wrong. It _is _time to let bygones be bygones and the way he's been living his life - this second life - hasn't done him any good. Still. Moving on isn't so easy. Not when...

"So, I say we get our stuff and try to find a place to stay in the city. If we're quick about it, we might still find her at the hospital. You can be our ticket. We'll use your little run-in with daddy dearest as an excuse to have them check you over, and while they do that, I'll go looking for-"

Enzo stops in his tracks so abruptly that Damon startles to a halt beside him, brow furrowing. Placing a hand on his friend's chest, Enzo tilts his head to stare at him, ignoring the searing pain behind his eyes.

"Slow down, mermaid," he says, making Damon scoff.

"What?"

"I'm not gonna be your bait."

"That's a little harsh. You're not 'bait,' Enzo. You're just gonna have to-"

"I'm not gonna let anyone 'check me over' so you can clear up your mess."

Throwing his arms up in a theatrical motion, Damon rolls his eyes.

"Don't be difficult, Lorenzo." His voice grows higher toward the end, the only indicator that he's agitated and not as happy and cool as he's been pretending. The realization makes Enzo mellow out before anger can take over.

"Alright," he allows, then slowly continues to walk.

Damon nudges his side, the old grin back in place.

"You won't regret it, I promise. This way we'll be done and back by the ocean before you know it. We'll just keep an eye on her until the next full moon, make sure she doesn't take another involuntary swim, and we're good. Sound okay?"

"Do we have a choice?"

"Nope."

Damon looks a little too happy.

Outside, It has grown chilly, a soft wind making the remaining few leaves in the trees rustle and Enzo looks up briefly before they make their way over to one of the small little houses not far from them. This is happening, isn't it? They'll have to leave this place and go to the city. Find the girl. Leave the sea behind. The thought makes his throat tighten, a slight tremor go through his body.

"You alright, kid?"

"Huh?"

Damon's eyes are gleaming in the sparse light of the moon, real concern visible in them now.

"You're not worried, are you? - Listen, I'll have Stefan keep taps on the old man and tell me when he is gone so we can get a swim in every so often. We won't have to stay away completely. After all, even the king can't have his eyes on the whole ocean at all times."

"Yeah…"

He can't be without the sea. They can't...

"Come on. Let's get moving."

* * *

…

The small shed is illuminated by just a few old-fashioned lamps, but Damon doesn't need much light to pack a bag. This will be over soon, and he will be able to return to the sea and his family, and this village. Just a few weeks, easy as pie.

Shooting Enzo a covert glance, he sees his friend pack his own bag, his expression dark and haunted-looking, and Damon feels a sudden pang of guilt. They're not cut out for a life among the earth-dwellers. Enzo maybe a little more than Damon because he used to be one of them, once. But it was a long time ago. He knows they'll both be struggling, and it will be his fault.

Away from the ocean, from everyone and everything that is familiar, they'll have to try and not draw too much attention to themselves and something tells him that that is not going to be so easy. It won't help anyone if he lets the thought drag him down, however, so he allows himself a few sips of the strong and burning moonshine he keeps hidden in his nightstand, offering the bottle to Enzo with a soft clink against wood. His friend accepts the bottle with a brief nod, then lifts it to his lips with a quick, "To new adventures," and Damon can't help but chuckle.

"To new adventures," he says out loud and turns back to his task, shoving pants and shirts and a handful of other things in his bag, like the necklace his grandmother gave him - coral and silver, two books, one of them an empty diary that he's never had the inclination to fill, and a small jar with beach sand that will have to be his anchor of sorts. Because he'll be gone for a while and despite what he told Enzo, he doubts that they'll be able to go anywhere near the beach or the ocean anytime soon.

He's never been away from it… Already, the yearning is growing stronger inside of him, and it's only been a few hours since he's emerged out of the depths of the sea. He can feel it in his very cells, the need to go back, to swim, to let the waves carry him away. But it won't be happening, not for a while. Enzo might soon hate him for it.

He should probably be more upset about it, more… uneasy. But then he remembers her - the dark girl with the bright eyes and warm skin, the earthen one that has somehow begun to take up space in his heart. He doesn't regret saving her. He doesn't regret a thing. If he gets to see her for a few last days, just a month, just until the full moon has passed, it'll have been worth it. And then, then they can all return to their routines, to their usual selves and normal lives, to go hunting for fish and scraping off mussels and fighting petty fights with his father and all will be as it always was. As it should be, with him by the water, and her on land, out of his life, out of his mind.

Except…

Biting his lip, he shakes his head, trying to stay focused when he sees her image appear before him again. That moment when she opened her eyes - green like the sea - and looked up at him with an unwavering stare, and it felt like… a missing part of him had finally returned.

* * *

…

It's exactly 48 hours later and Bonnie is so ready to leave this place and go home. She's had enough of the constant hint of salt and seaweed in the air outside wafting in through the window and hallway, she's had enough of her Grams's worried sideways glances, and she's most definitely had enough of this antiseptic smelling hospital. So when her doctor walks over with the papers to release her, she exhales with relief, jumping out of bed before the man has finished talking.

"I see you're eager to leave, Ms. Bennett." His smile is warm and kind, sending a shiver through Bonnie. The man is young, and cute. He'd totally be perfect dating material - but he's her doctor. Forcing herself to smile back at least sort of convincingly, she nods her head, exchanging a brief glance with her Grams, then with Caroline, who's waving at her from the hallway.

"Well, in that case, be on your way. Everything looks good here. But you will have to take it very easy. No strenuous activities for a few weeks, no sports until your ribs have healed, and most importantly, no dips into the ocean."

She chuckles a little too readily, wanting to roll her eyes at herself. The doctor will think she's a stupid teenager with a crush if she doesn't get a grip on herself.

"Yeah, as lovely as your little town here is, I think I've had enough of the sea and the beach for the foreseeable future."

"I can't blame you. Well, good luck then, Ms. Bennett…"

The way he trails off and lingers as he hands over the papers tells her that she'd have a chance with him. His eyes meet hers, stay locked, the seconds stretching as both of them smile. Maybe she should ask him out. Maybe she should wait and get out of here first and then turn around so that…

Her train of thought comes to a jarring halt when she catches a glimpse of something - someone - moving behind him, in the hallway. Smile freezing then fading, her attention moves away from the handsome doctor before her even as she grips the papers he's holding out to her.

"Thank you," she mutters, looking past him, her brow furrowing as she's trying to process what she thinks she saw.

Her gaze meets Caroline's. Caroline, who frowns at her now, shaking her head with incomprehension.

"What?" she mouths at her, but Bonnie can't even shrug her shoulders.

"Excuse me…" She pats the doc's arm, a light touch that doesn't bear any importance, no sparks flying, nothing, as she walks past him, then her Grams who shoots her a questioning look, and even Caroline.

"Uh… of course," she hears the poor man say somewhere behind her, but she's already well on her way, determined now, she doesn't even know why or what she thinks she saw, but it's important. More than anything else.

"Bonnie. Bon! Hey… What's going on?" Caroline's hand reaches out, grabs her arm, and Bonnie glances at her for just a second before she continues on, shaking her off.

"I'm sorry, Care, I need to… I think I saw someone."

"Someone, who?"

"Bonnie Sheila Bennett. Where do you think you're going?!"

Swallowing, she stops in her tracks at hearing that second voice, her heart beating too fast in her chest. Maybe she can leave her best friend in her wake, but she sure as hell can't do the same with her grandma.

"Grams, I'm sorry, but-"

"No 'but.' - You, my dear, need to come right back here."

"Grams…"

"Now."

The old woman's tone brokers no argument, and when Bonnie turns around to look at her, Sheila has her hands pushed against her hips, chin raised. No, she won't let Bonnie go on her ridiculous quest for whatever the hell it even is that she's looking for - that she thought she saw.

Biting the inside of her lip, she contemplates her next move. It's ridiculous. Thinking about it now, she doesn't even know what she thinks she saw, what made her bolt out of the room like that. Or does she?

Letting her head droop, she sighs, then begins to walk back with slow steps, until she feels Caroline's grip on her arm again, this time much firmer than before.

"Bonnie…," she whisper-gasps, her tone raising alarms.

Frowning at her friend, Bonnie follows her gaze, follows it past a row of empty chairs and a small vending machine, past a few people walking down the hallway, and then lands straight on…

Two men standing in front of the nurses' station, one with his arm around the other's shoulders, both of them wearing strange old-fashioned pants and white shirts - as if they have just emerged out of some historic flick or other.

Blinking, she makes sure her eyes are still working properly, but when she exchanges a glance with Caroline, she knows that she's not the only one seeing them. Staring up ahead, she watches them while she hears her friend ramble beside her, sounding strangely distraught.

"Those must be costumes, right? No one in their right mind wears clothes like that. They look like they're straight out of the past. Maybe… maybe there's a town fair going on. We haven't exactly had the time to check out this place, but it's cute enough to have some kind of folklore market going on, right? This could be a tourist attraction. Like… like those civil war reenactments back home. - And either way, I kinda dig the outfits. Sorry, I don't even know why I keep…" Caroline stops, and Bonnie is vaguely aware of her friend's brow creasing before she continues. "Bonnie? You alright?"

"That's him," she mutters, the few words so hard to say, but it's true. It is him, the one from her… dream, or whatever it was. Memory? She can see the side of his profile now, his nose, his almost chiseled looking cheekbones, a light stubble visible on them, and the flicker of bright eyes.

"Him? You mean that guy, that 'Damon'?!" Caroline asks, her pitch higher now, high enough to make Bonnie cringe… and loud enough to make said man turn around.

Oh gosh…

His brows are pulled together in a frown, but there's still a remnant of a smile on his face when his eyes meet Bonnie's, and then the world stops spinning.


	5. Salt in the air

_Made this a bit longer for you, Kamille. ;)_

_Thank you all for the kind feedback, and for following along._

* * *

…

He should probably not be smiling. This isn't good. The way she looks at him tells him that his attempt at compelling her hasn't worked as well as it should have. She clearly remembers him, at least to an extent. There's recognition in that green gaze, recognition and wonder and a touch of confusion - no, a lot of confusion. And still he can't help but smile. Because this was so easy. He didn't even have to go looking for her. She's right here, a few feet away from him, and beside her stands Blondie, clutching her friend's arm a little too forcefully.

"Bloody marvelous. Now what?"

Enzo makes a point of not turning around when he speaks, shielding the side of his face with one arm and hand, trying rather obviously to stay out of sight. Dude would probably benefit from loosening up a bit.

"Hey. This is good news." Damon pats his friend's shoulder. "It's going to be easy now. Fast and painless, just like you love it."

Enzo rolls his eyes, scoffing, and Damon turns toward the nurses' station again, where a nurse is now standing before him.

"How can I help you, sir?"

Damon smiles at her, leaning in to Enzo as he does.

"We won't have to use plan A after all," he mutters, "you should be so happy…" Out loud, he adds for the nurse's benefit, "Actually, we're good for now, thank you."

"Then let's get the hell out of-"

"_You_!"

Her voice shrills out, interrupting Enzo, cutting off Damon's train of thought, and even though he knows he should play dumb and deaf, he can't. So he turns around again to smile at her, shooting for his best confused frown.

"Me?" Tapping his chest, he holds her gaze, pretending the hell out of this. "Have we met?"

She seems to falter for a moment, then quickly catches herself, walking toward him with a resolute stride. She's fierce and fast, and somehow that surprises him.

"I've seen you. Tell me you remember it too."

Shaking his head, he gives her his best innocent look of bewilderment, then moves to turn away from her. His heart is beginning to beat faster, his thoughts racing. How to proceed? He needs to slip away and still keep an eye on her somehow - which won't be easy now that she seems to recognize his face…

"I'm sorry," he waves her off, "I think I'd remember that. - You from around here?"

Her eyebrows are rising higher and higher, her friend whispering something he can't catch from where he's standing, but the way Blondie tugs at Bonnie makes him think she's trying to get her to let it go and move on. Which would be a great idea.

But Bonnie seems to think otherwise. Even when an old woman with the slightest resemblance - maybe a grandma or an older aunt? - shows up at her side, with the demanding frown of someone who's used to being listened to, she doesn't move.

"No," she replies now, inclining her head a bit, her brown curls bouncing off her shoulders in an oddly sensual way that makes him lick his lips. Swallowing, he works to keep his noncommittal smirk in place, even though the way her mere presence affects him is beginning to make him uneasy. He's not usually one to fall for a girl that quickly.

Well…

"Just passing through then, huh? - Sorry your way led you to the hospital. You should check out the annual Seabreeze Fair while you're here, at least."

"Seabreeze Fair."

He has to smile at her tone. Like she can't quite believe he brought it up. Like it's something rather ridiculous, which it kind of is. But it's a good cover story, and it's the first thing that came to his mind.

"Mate…"

Grinning at Enzo briefly, he catches the warning look his friend shoots him, and he knows why. He's headed for dangerous territory now, talking to her, engaging with her. If there were fewer people around he'd probably be able to compel her again, hope that this time it'd take. But the hallway is crowding up more and more - probably filling with fair visitors that have had too much to drink and managed to get themselves hurt.

Ignoring it all, he keeps his eyes trained on Bonnie, who is still standing feet away from him.

"Yeah," he says, playing his role, pointing to his outfit that must seem ridiculous to her. They really do need to get some contemporary clothes if they want to blend in with the crowd. "It's quite pretty. There's booths with seafood and little trinkets, shell mobiles, bracelets. You ladies might enjoy it - if you're all alright?" He indicates the hospital, making her frown deepen then lift.

"Oh, yeah… uh. Yeah. That sounds… nice. I… just a little accident, we're all good now."

"Good. Well then… Excuse me, I need to take care of my stubborn friend here. He needs to see a doctor for his - uh…"

"Damon," Enzo hisses, and he grins, then rolls his eyes before he continues.

"Anyways. Enjoy your stay here, sweetheart." With that he turns away, readying himself for Enzo's lecture, but what he hears instead is a very loud and triumphant, "There!"

Uh oh, he thinks, exchanging a glance with Enzo that the other man shrugs off, then he looks over his shoulder at Bonnie again, trying his best to keep his smile neutral.

What exactly did he say that made her so… happy?

* * *

…

_Sweetheart_. No one calls Bonnie Bennett sweetheart. Not even her Grams. But this man, this man just did.

"Okay, this is getting silly," Caroline chimes in, crossing her arms in front of her as she looks from Bonnie to this man in front of them, and before Bonnie has a change to stop her, she continues, "Is your name Damon by any chance? - I can't believe I'm asking this, but…"

The way he looks at them makes Bonnie feel like the air got sucked out of the room. It's obvious that he's trying to control his features, to shrug it off, but when Caroline mentions that name, he recognizes it. They can all see it, can see through him, Bonnie, Caroline, even Grams beside her, who is now gripping her shoulder, peeking out at this man with the suspicious scrutiny of a grandmother worried for her grandchild.

Damon - because that's definitely his name - swallows visibly, and while she can't see the face of his companion, the guy's body language as he looks at his friend is screaming "busted." Exchanging a glance with Caroline, Bonnie knows that her friend sees it too. So maybe she still has no clue why she knows his name, or where she may have met him before. But she is now certain that she has.

His smirk is firm again, his posture cocky as he leans his back against the nurses' station's counter, wiggling a finger at them.

"I see what this is. You must have passed through the fair ground after all. Saw me there. My friend Lorenzo and I work in one of the restaurant halls." He pauses, readjusting his position, shooting his friend another glance. "You remember them, Enzo?"

"No."

Bonnie shakes her head. Even though there's a ton of things she should remember but doesn't, she's damn certain that she hasn't been to this fair he keeps talking about. When she looks to Caroline for confirmation, her friend shrugs at her.

"Definitely not," she mumbles. "Bon, let's just go. This is getting creepy."

Maybe Care is right, maybe they should just let it go and leave. But… something just doesn't seem right. He seems so familiar, and that name. He wasn't even trying to pretend she got it wrong...

"Girls. What on earth is going on here? Bonnie?" Grams has moved forward a bit so that she's standing half in front of her grandchild, looking back without taking her eyes off these two strangers. "Excuse me," she then says, making heat creep into Bonnie's cheeks as she begins to walk toward Damon. "We haven't met. My name is Sheila Bennett, I'm Bonnie's grandmother."

Like a complete gentleman, Damon takes her hand, bowing down a little as he does.

"Ma'am. Damon Salvatore at your service."

"Mr. Salvatore, my granddaughter seems to think she has met you. She certainly knows your name."

"That she does…" His grin is back, making Bonnie's insides turn to jelly.

"Let's just go, Grams," she mutters, embarrassed, and ready to leave.

"One moment, child. - Well, Mr. Salvatore-"

"Damon, please." That smile… Even her Grams seems to melt a bit now.

"Damon," the old woman says, and Bonnie catches her smiling almost shily. Her Grams! "My granddaughter here was in a car accident. Barely escaped certain death as it is, and while she can't remember much, I think someone must have come to her aide. That couldn't have been you? See, I'd love to thank whoever saved her."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I wish I could be that hero, but it wasn't me…"

It's at that moment - Damon is still speaking, Grams listening almost starstruck - that Bonnie notices commotion by the elevators, a few men barging out of one of them, pushing their way through the people with too much force. Some of them are tumbling, even falling, but the men don't seem to care, keep moving with strange determination, and a clear destination.

"What's happening?" Caroline whispers behind her, her fingers digging into Bonnie's arm. "Bonnie…"

"Grams," Bonnie says, exchanging a brief glance and a nod with Caroline, motioning for her friend to back away as the men zone in on Damon and his companion, and on them...

"Uh, Damon, I think we might have company," the other man is saying, finally turning around enough for her to see him too, and while his face doesn't ring a bell, her gaze gets drawn to the row of buttons on his shirt, buttons that seem to rival the sheen of the aurora borealis when the light catches them.

She has seen those before, or… one of them. In Caroline's hand.

But then everything goes crazy around her, loud voices drowning her own out as she calls out to Care, grabbing her Grams as she does.

"We should go," she hisses, watching as the men draw closer and closer.

"Damon." His friend sounds urgent, grabbing Damon, not unlike how Bonnie is grabbing her Grams, trying to pull the old woman with her.

"Crap."

Damon turns to look behind him briefly, exchanging a few words with his friend that she doesn't catch, then he stares straight ahead again, his smile wavering but still there, though there is a shadow over him now, an air of something dangerous. Abruptly, he leans forward, licking his lips, cursing under his breath before staring straight at her, grabbing her arm.

"You were right," he says, "we found you after the crash and brought you here. - You're welcome, by the way." He grins for a moment, and Bonnie wants to say "I knew it!" but no sound makes it past her lips. It's as if she's paralyzed, unable to move or say anything. "You should get out of here now. Hurry."

"Wait."

"Go, Bonnie Bennett." The urgency in his stare gets to her. Without further explanation, he then kisses her brow, winks, and races toward where his friend is already running toward the group of strangers, leaving her standing there, in the middle of the hallway.

There's an ominous flicker of lights, the sound of roaring water filling her ears for a second, then she blinks - and the hallway is almost completely deserted again.

"What the hell was that?" Grams asks, and the women exchange a confused glance.

"Wait. So it was really him? The one who saved you?" Caroline's eyes are wide, shocked, but while Bonnie nods, she still has his voice in her ear.

_You should get out of here now. Hurry._

Looking at the other two, she swallows.

"We gotta go. Now."

* * *

…

"Father!"

Emerging out of a large pool of salty water, Stefan calls into the void. His clothes are dripping, sticking to his body like a second skin, a feeling he's been used to for ages, but now, for some reason, it irks him. He'll have to change out of them and into a dry set as soon as he's done down here, and then he'll have to go after his brother - like so often before. It's tiring.

Balling his hands into fists for a moment, he rushes forward, storming toward his true destination, deeper into the darkness of the large underwater cave.

Guiseppe is where he expected him to be, sitting atop a dais of coral, in his throne of sorts, which Stefan considers to be nothing but a large chair with a too high backrest and a ridiculous amount of shells stuck to its sides and armrests.

"Father," he calls out again, not decelerating until he's right in front of his old man, and the look he earns himself makes his blood boil almost over. "You said he'd have time to sort this out!"

"Good to see you, too, son."

"Damon was doing his best to make sure the girl stays away from the water. But you had to send your guards out to detain them and kill an innocent girl?!"

"Is that right, Guiseppe?"

Blinking, Stefan turns his head, only now noticing the shadow of his mother toward the side of the room, where she must have stood all along, quite possibly conversing with her husband until this moment. She shoots her youngest son a glance, then turns to face her husband, raising her chin as if to challenge him.

"What if I did? The boy is unreliable. I don't trust him to handle this correctly, and, my dear, need I remind you what a bad influence that sailor of yours is that he seems to fraternize with constantly?"

"Lorenzo is not a bad influence-"

"He's a Turned, for Neptune's sake! Turned by you! Because you fell for him, too."

"Please!" Lily throws her head back, hair spilling over as she does, and Stefan can't help but stare at his parents, at their display of marital battling. Even now they can't stop behaving like the world revolves around them.

"You are still jealous, is that it? Because _I_ had an affair, too_, _just _one_, where you had _many_!"

Rolling his eyes, Stefan looks to the ground, giving a loud sigh. He can't deal with this.

"Can we focus on Damon again? And the fact that you're willing to let your goons murder this girl that was unlucky enough to be saved by him?" he therefore interjects, and to his surprise, both his parents fall silent and look at him. "Tell your goons to lay off and give him time. You don't need to kill the girl to prevent her from becoming one of us."

"I…"

"If you do, I can promise you, you'll lose Damon, too. And me." The challenging words sound off to his own ears, uncharacteristic. Because isn't he usually the one who tries to appease their dad, to play nice, smooth out whatever could upset Guiseppe? Not this time. Sighing, he keeps staring straight at his father, running a hand through his tousled hair.

"Let Damon do his thing. Please. Give him the month, like you said you would. You can still sic your goons after the girl if he does fail after all."

His father's dark eyes bore into him, making him feel naked under the scrutiny. He doesn't even know why he's here, fighting Damon's fight for him. Maybe because his brother is all he's really got, and the love for him has always made him do stupid things…

With a wave of his hand and a bored sounding sigh, Guiseppe eventually turns away, focusing on a young man by his side.

"Fine," he allows, "Conrad, you heard my son. Relay the message to let my oldest go and spare the girl. For now. But." Conrad is still nodding when Guiseppe changes his focus yet again, glaring over at Stefan, making him clench his teeth. "Should the girl end up becoming one of us before the month is over, he'll pay." He smiles over at Stefan, then at his wife with a saccharine expression. "_They_ will pay. - Now go, both of you. I need time to deal with more important matters of the realm."

Stefan wants to say something, wants to blurt out all the hatred he feels toward this man that is his father. He would even have a few choice words for his mother. But of course he remains silent, as usual, fists clenched so hard that his fingernails dig into his palms.

* * *

…

They leave the hospital as fast as they can, Caroline holding Bonnie's hand, her mom and Sheila Bennett ushering them on from behind as they make their way down the staircase so fast that Caroline almost slips and stumbles.

"Ouch," she makes as her ankle gets overextended, but there's no time to rub the sore spot or even stop and take a break. No. She doesn't quite understand what the hell is going on, but one thing is clear, this man, Damon, he meant it when he told them to leave.

When they reach the outside, the whole area is strangely deserted, a few scattered people walking by with vacant expressions on their faces, and Bonnie and Caroline exchange a glance.

"What the hell is going on in this place?"

"No idea. But I'm not keen on finding out either. Let's just go. Grams, where did you park the car."

Caroline's mom steps closer to the girls, pushing them both with her in lieu of a reply.

"We drove here together," she explains, "Follow me!"

Everything is going by so fast that Caroline doesn't know what to think. She's limping after her mom, still clutching Bonnie's hand, her skirt billowing around her legs like a cloud, and she's shivering. It's grown so cold.

"What do we do when we've reached the car? Just leave? What if someone comes after us? What about this guy Damon and his friend?"

The one with buttons on his shirt like the one she's still holding in her free hand…

But before she has a chance to worry and wonder about any of it much longer, she feels a sudden strong gust of wind, the smell of salt and sea growing strong around her, and the next thing she knows...

* * *

...

There is not much time. The second he sees the men - Guiseppe's guards, he knows what they have come here for. Cursing under his breath, he decides within a split second what to do, silently communicating his plan to Enzo.

_~ Frigging bastard is gonna kill her... - Lorenzo, time to shine. You keep the guards at bay, then make these people forget anything ever happened, while I'll first get the girls out of here. Then I'll assist you. ~_

_~ Kind of you. ~_

Even in this dire moment, Damon finds time to arch an eyebrow and stare at his friend with surprised amazement.

_~ So you just quietly mastered telepathy, huh? I'm impressed! No, seriously… ~_

Damon chuckles lightly as Enzo rolls his eyes. But time is running out, the goons already on their way, so they both spring into action, sprinting off in opposite directions.

He knows what Guiseppe is doing. As usual, his old man doesn't trust him, doesn't trust that Damon can keep Bonnie Bennett away from the water and clear up his mess. And rather than finding means to help his son, he's going for the ultimate solution: killing the girl. But that is not an option, not if Damon has any say in the matter, and he likes to think that he does. So he blurs forward, staring intently at this girl before him, trying to make her feel the importance of his words without scaring her too much.

She needs to leave, now, but before he can see her do so, he feels a spot of pain explode against the side of his head, and the next thing he knows, he's not in the hospital hallway anymore, but sitting slumped against the wall of an old warehouse in some rundown part of town.

"Well, hello there, sleeping beauty."

Blinking against the dim light of dusk, Damon rubs his smarting jaw, then turns sideways, where Enzo is smirking at him, streaks of blood running out his nose, staining the collar of his shirt.

"Ouch," he says, noticing the blood on his own shirt, with ginger movements touching his temple, then his split lip.

"You two, quiet."

"Ah, so we're not alone to enjoy this romantic moment…"

The shadow of a large man falls over him, and when he looks up, he sees his own blood staining the goon's brandished fist.

"Easy now," he says, waving his arms appeasingly. This whole thing isn't good. He doesn't know what happened to Bonnie or her friends, he doesn't know what these assholes are going to do - after all, it wouldn't be below Guiseppe to teach his own flesh and blood a "meaningful lesson". It wouldn't be the first time. But while he knows that his father would never go too far, would never kill one of his own, he's not so sure the man wouldn't use this as a good excuse to finally get rid of Enzo…

"Alright, this has been fun, fellas, but right now I really need a drink and it's getting kinda cold-"

The fist slams into his stomach, making him gasp and double over, if not losing his smirk.

"I see. You have different plans for the evening. You could have just said so, you know?"

Another slam, this time to his kidney, and he grimaces in pain.

"Damon, shut up." Enzo's tone sounds annoyed, but in his face there is genuine concern, and Damon sighs. He's ready to play this game for a few more rounds, but he's not alone, he has other people to think of, not just himself and his father.

"Alright," he therefore says, tired and weary. "How about we make a deal. You leave the girls alone, and we-"

As if on cue, he sees the street lights flicker, sees the silhouettes of more people coming closer, and he blinks again, trying to clear his hazy vision, even when he already knows what he's about to see. Or, who…

Dammit.

And there she is, Bonnie Bennett with her friend, her soft skin glowing in the sparse light, her hair streaming in the breeze, and… so much fight in those green eyes of hers, so much anger and fight contorting her features that he can't help but be proud of her.

"Bonnie," he whispers, a strange sense of awe making him breathe her name as he tilts his head to look at her, watching as recognition floods her face.

"You?"

He grins apologetically, just as the goons shove her toward him, and without grace, she slumps right against him, her cheek grazing his, her breath caressing his neck for just a second before she quickly scrambles to the side, shooting him an almost accusing glance.

"Who the hell are you - or should I say, _what_? What is going on here?"

Should he tell her that she's lucky to even still be alive? Probably not…

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll explain in a minute…"


	6. Dive

…

She doesn't quite know how or when these guys got the upper hand on her, but at some point, Bonnie finds herself with her hands in the rough grip of a large and too pale bald man, his grim expression making the lump in her throat grow as she keeps fighting against him, to no avail. There's not a chance she can escape him, and when he leans down until his thick lips almost touch her ear, she cringes away, reluctantly listening as he says, "If you don't stop fighting, I'm gonna have to off dear Gramma and momma over there, too. You want that?"

No, she doesn't want that. She doesn't want any of this! Peering out from behind the man's bulky stature, she sees Caroline cease to struggle against another big man as her mom and Bonnie's Grams stalk over to the car with an odd calm.

"Grams!" she can't help but call out and the gruff man shakes her hard for the outburst, glaring down.

"They'll be safe - _if _you stop with the attitude."

_Attitude_? Bonnie's anger is growing by the second, even though she knows she should probably rather be afraid. She's just not used to being kidnapped or whatever the hell it is that is happening here.

"Stay quiet and come with me, and the two older ladies get to go home now. Keep fighting me, and…"

"What about Caroline?!"

She tugs and pulls at her arm, staring daggers at the man that's holding her, but it's no use. He's so strong, squeezing her arm with ease, his large hand wrapping around most of her upper arm.

Huffing, he rolls his eyes. "She'll have to come."

"Why?" Suspicious, Bonnie squints up at him, her fear becoming more prevalent again. "What do you want from us? What did we do?"

They're going to kill them, aren't they? Is that it? But why? Is it because of anything they did or saw? But what could that have been? Whatever it is, one thing is almost certain. It must have something to do with Damon Salvatore.

Apparently everything has something to do with him lately…

"Quiet," is all the answer she gets before the man pulls her with him, nodding over to his companion briefly, who is carrying a yelling Caroline across his shoulders, fireman style, while she keeps trying to hit him.

And Bonnie freezes in her tracks. If her best friend hasn't given up the fight, maybe she shouldn't either. Torn between doing what it takes to protect her Grams and Caroline's mom or her own safety, she makes her decision. Digging her heels into the ground as best as she can, she puts all her strength into resisting her attacker, who turns around to look at her with a rather weary expression.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, lady. But the king has commanded it, so we follow."

"There's no freaking king in the whole damn US of A!"

"Yeah? Well, it's not the kingdom I'm talking about…"

Before she can even continue this ridiculous conversation, he picks her up so abruptly that she loses her momentum, and just like that, he walks after his friend, with her on his shoulders. And no one seems to be there to hear her goddamn screams.

* * *

...

By the time they reach a sinister looking corner of town - all dark alley and sparse streetlights - there are only hints of red and orange left in the otherwise dark sky, and Bonnie is feeling a new chill creeping into her.

This might be where these guys are going to… execute her and Caroline, if they don't manage to get away. Now is their last chance…

Then she sees _him_ again: Damon, bloodied and bruised, but with a smile making his eyes shine, his expression so unfitting that she wants to laugh.

"You?!"

A nonchalant shoulder shrug of his later she's ready to interrogate him about what the hell is going on here, but before she can do so, she finds herself getting shoved into his arms. Cheeks blushing even now, under these circumstances, she tries to scramble off of him as fast as she can, his breath warm against her skin, the strange scent of something earthen - no, something damp, deep, fresh - clinging to him and making her feel the smallest bit calmer.

Seconds pass, maybe a minute, before she finds her words again, relieved that he doesn't seem to have noticed how flustered she is. Relieved, too, that her kidnappers seem to be leaving her alone for now - if she can call it that when they keep glaring over at her and Care and these two strange men, large long guns in their arms. (Not guns, though… She blinks, frowning in confusion. It's as if an image lays itself over what she is seeing, two things blending together. Guns… But these things, for a split second she could have sworn they looked like harpoons.)

Damon is clicking his tongue, making some offhand remark, and she jolts back, glaring at him, asking her questions.

"Who the hell are you - or should I say, _what_? What is going on here?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he says way too chirpily, using that endearment again that she hates, "I'll explain in a minute."

And then he does. Finally he begins telling her the truth about how they really met. They're sitting close together, their sides almost touching, and she doesn't dare look at him as he speaks - not so much because of him, but because of the dark figures looming over them. For some reason, these men haven't killed them yet even though Damon seems to think that's why they're here, what they want to do. According to him, they have been sent by his father. - But - also according to him - said father is something like a king of an underwater realm, and now that really doesn't make any sense.

"I swear," he says with a wide and open grin, "I know it sounds ridiculous-"

"You're the son of a king," she interrupts him, scoffing. "You don't look like a prince."

Nudging her side as if they've been friends forever, he shows her his too nice looking teeth.

"Not a prince. That's not how it works in the below, sweetheart."

"Okay, stop." Sitting up straighter, she lifts a hand, glaring at him, only shrinking back when one of the creepy giants steps out of the shadows to point his weapon at her. A lot quieter, she says, "Don't call me sweetheart."

"Aw. I see the lady doesn't like my term of endearment. How about… Bon-"

"Bonnie is just fine. It's my name…" She hopes he reads her annoyance and can take the hint. But no such luck.

"BonBon." His eyes light up. "Has a nice ring to it. - So, BonBon, I think we pretty much covered it all, right? Your car crashed into the ocean; me and Enzo over there just so happened to be around to get you girls to dry land, and due to the slight, uh, unusualness of our nature, we tried to stay out of your lives and keep to ourselves."

Yup, that about summed it up - and more - and if she was being honest, she couldn't fault him for trying to keep his distance, because this was simply-

"Bullshit. You think I'm stupid?"

"Not at all. I know what this sounds like, but you can ask Enzo, he'll corroborate-"

A harsh scoff escapes her as she exchanges a glance with Caroline, who is sitting wedged between Bonnie on one side and Damon's friend on the other, looking crestfallen.

"So you think we'd fall for your ridiculous mermen story? What is this? Storybrooke?"

There's a brief flicker of puzzlement crossing his face that makes Bonnie realize he doesn't get the TV reference, but that alone doesn't make his story more plausible. You didn't need to be a… a frigging merman to not have watched _Once upon a Time. _She never managed to get her ex to watch the show with her either, so…

Rolling her eyes, she forces herself to stop right there. She needs to focus. They're still held at gunpoint, by scary looking dudes that Damon rather casually introduced as part of his father's royal guard.

Royal guard! She rolls her eyes.

"Cut the crap, okay?" she continues then. "What is this? What have you gotten us into?"

With a sigh, Damon runs his hand over his face, grimacing as he touches his bleeding lip.

"I wish I was joking, but I'm not. These guys are here to - what, kill us? Are those father's latest orders?" he addresses one of the men, who shakes his head at him.

"Had the order to kill the girls, yeah."

"Had? Past tense?"

"Order got rescinded a few minutes ago."

"Huh." Damon looks genuinely surprised, and Bonnie can't say it makes her feel any better. Shooting him a glance, she lightly slaps his chest when he doesn't clue her in on whatever is going on in his mind.

"What?"

"Sorry, BonBon. Was just trying to contact dear daddy, and when he didn't reply, my brother."

_What?_ She's unaware that the word never passes her lips, the bewilderment so strong that she has trouble following anymore. Is he saying he just somehow talked to his brother? How?

Oblivious to any of her inner struggles, Damon turns to look at his friend, who's leaning a little too casually against the wall behind them.

"Stef says it's true. The old man is giving us one last chance."

Enzo raises an eyebrow in response.

"Hard to believe."

"But apparently true." Damon shrugs. "Now we only need to make sure that you, Bonnie Bennett, and your friend stay away from the ocean, and this should soon be over."

"You sound insane." Bonnie shakes her head, trying to process his words. _Stay away from the ocean…_

Scoffing, she rolls her eyes over at Caroline, then moves to get to her feet, shooting the goons a cautious look before motioning to her friend to do the same.

"Well, this was… interesting. But I guess this is our cue. Caroline?"

"Yeah, coming." Her friend hurries to get up, too, stumbling a bit on her sore ankle, and Bonnie quickly grips her by the arm.

"Let's get the hell away from here," she hisses, and she doesn't need to say it twice.

_Stay away from the ocean… _Why?

Caroline has grabbed her hand, the curious way she looks down on Enzo not lost on Bonnie, but she has no time to worry about that now, because Damon's words are still ringing in her ears, and not just the part about where he seems to be some weird creature of the sea, the son of the king of an underwater realm.

Underwater realm! She wants to laugh out loud.

They have stalked off a little, both a bit shaky, Caroline still limping, when Bonnie stops in her tracks, looking back to where the two "mermen" of sorts are now standing, too, the two creepy large dudes not far from them.

"What is that supposed to mean," she calls out, deep creases furrowing her brow. "'Make sure I stay away from the ocean'?"

Damon's long exhalation, the way he looks down on the ground before meeting her gaze shows an exhaustion she hasn't noticed in him before and it makes her strangely uneasy.

"It means, BonBon, that you and I will have to spend a little more time together. Because in my effort to try and save you, I may have inadvertently managed to… _turn_ you into one of us."

"Turn me into…"

"A mermaid. Just an expression of course, but yeah. There's a chance you could become an ocean dweller like us - but don't worry, darling. As long as you don't go anywhere near the ocean and immerse yourself in the water until roughly… thirty days from now, you should be fine. And I'm here to make sure of that. Which does mean I can't let you go alone, though."

The grin is back, almost mischievous, and she can't but glare at him. He doesn't honestly think she believes any of his tall tales, does he? That she would fall for his lame attempt to tag along and… and do what? Hang out with her? Could this be some elaborate plan of his to woo her? To ask her on a date? Surely that can't be it…

Mermaid.

Shaking her head, she tries to focus, to stay on top of this bizarre mess, thankful when Caroline's squeeze of her hand reassures her a bit.

"We gotta find your Grams and my mom," Care mutters, and Bonnie has barely nodded her head when Damon nonchalantly waves his hand.

"Oh, don't worry about them. These guys compelled them to forget about all this and head home. They think you two are on a month-long study retreat."

Swallowing, Bonnie glares at him.

"Excuse me?" she presses out, her anger rising again. But Damon merely grins, wiping away more traces of blood on his face as he swaggers over, his shadowy friend in tow.

"Another one of those merpeople things," he waves her off, and the way he keeps smiling makes her blood boil. "Don't worry, ladies. Enzo and I will stay on the sidelines. We're just here to make sure my dear father keeps his hands off you and you stay away from the ocean. I promise."

"Yeah, I'm not buying any of that bullshit you were trying to feed us. So, do us a favor? Leave us the hell alone!"

She begins to stomp away, her boots feeling heavy and restraining on her feet, and she grits her teeth against the weird feeling, against her anger at the world and Damon in particular.

"Come on, Care."

Out of nowhere, Damon appears in front of her - no more than a few inches away - and she startles, gasping. Turning back, she looks behind her, into the alley, only seeing the two dark giants hulking in the shadows. It's almost as if Damon… apparated in front of her, like a damn Harry Potter character. Was he a wizard now, too? Could this get any more ridiculous?

When she turns to look at him, she notices that his annoying friend is there now, too, standing next to him, gaze trained on Caroline.

"I believe you have something of mine," he says, and Bonnie feels Caroline's grip on her tighten, before she reluctantly extends a hand to hold out the button.

"Thanks, gorgeous," he says, smirking at her as he takes the button and replaces it with Caroline's phone - just as Bonnie feels the cool metal of her own phone being pushed into her hand by Damon.

"Our turn to return what's yours," Damon says, his blue eyes making her break out in a bout of shivers as he stares at her. When she doesn't move or say anything, he jerks his chin - still smiling. "You can call your Grams if you want, make sure she's okay."

She doesn't need to be told twice. Never taking her eyes off him, she dials, waiting for her Grams to pick up the phone.

"We barely dropped you two off, babygirl! Elizabeth and I haven't even quite made it home yet and you are already calling? You girls homesick already?"

The old woman's chuckle makes Bonnie's heart ache with love and relief, and she shoots Caroline a glance, who is also muttering into her phone.

"Just wanted to check in," Bonnie says as if she's following a script, unsure why she's going with this story, why she's not trying to tell her grandmother that something strange is going on.

She stands like that for a few minutes, just chatting with Sheila, before finally disconnecting the call, then taking a deep breath. Raising her head, stiffening her shoulders, she stares hard at Damon.

"Okay, fine. You were right. They're okay and they clearly seem to think that so are we. Now what?"

"Now we'll set you two up in a nice-"

There's an abrupt vacuum of sound, complete silence enveloping them for a moment, before the world seems to be swallowed in a booming rush of… water? - and before Bonnie quite knows what's going on, she feels herself being pulled away by Damon, his face a wide-eyed mask of fear or worry as he keeps yelling something, yelling something she has trouble understanding, yet it slowly fades into her conscience more and more with an odd delay.

"He broke his word, goddammit!"

"And you're surprised by that? The man is a bloody monster!" Enzo hollers back, making a face as he picks up a struggling Caroline, hoisting her over his shoulders.

"Hey!"

Bonnie stares as if in a trance, running along, not understanding, until abruptly they stop, and she faces…

… the cliff where her car went into the water. Her throat closes, and she's shaking.

How did they make it here so fast?

"Do you trust me, Bonnie?"

Frowning, she shakes her head, trying to focus on Damon's open face.

"No," she allows, honest, and he smiles at that, if just for a brief moment.

"Can't blame you, of course. - Listen."

He's holding her hand, his touch strangely tender now, and she stares at his fingers, so pale against hers… Then she lifts her gaze up again, his eyes looking like the water underneath.

"My dear father is a genuine asshole, and he just tried to send out a tsunami to try and force your transformation, which can only mean one thing: no matter how this month goes, he's going to kill you anyway."

She can only scoff. Because what else is there to do when she's with a crazy person taking about mermaids and tsunamis and someone out to kill her?

"The good thing is," he continues, as if there can be any good in all this craziness. "There's one place where he won't be able to find you. - The bad thing… it involves taking a bit of a dive. So… Are you ready to jump with me, Bonnie Bennett?"

"What?" She peeks over his shoulder, the wind picking up around her as the uncomfortable roaring feeling comes back to fill her ears. "You wanna jump down there. With me. - You just said I need to stay away from the damn ocean, and now you want me to jump right in there with you? Hell no!"

"It's either that or you die."

Blinking, she looks from Damon to Caroline, who is shivering in her too thin dress.

"We need to go _now_, Damon," Enzo urges, his dark gaze meeting Damon's, and all Bonnie can think is that this is insane.

"Bonnie…"

"Okay. Okay!"

Before she has a chance to think it over, Damon jerks his hand and pulls her with him, and then she falls.

* * *

…

* * *

_I'm sorry about yet another cliffhanger, Kamille!_

_Guest: hahaha, your review made me laugh. You're very right about Guiseppe. He deserves the sea turning on him. We shall see whether it does..._

_This was a bit of a tough chapter to write, but as you can see, it brings us a big leap further in the story._

_Thanks for your kind support so far!_


	7. Bubbles

_Kamille: Thanks for your kind words and for your understanding! :) The cliffhangers don't even happen on purpose. lol. _

_Thanks also to MinakoTrickster and EvaMedina!_

* * *

…

_~ We need to get Bonnie back to Point Sterne. ~_

Enzo stares ahead, running after Damon with that girl on his shoulders, still trying to comprehend what just happened. A squall - on land, in the middle of the dark side of town.

Guiseppe tried to wipe them all out… Forcing himself to focus on his conversation that has now turned inward, making it harder, he directs his mind toward his friend again.

_~ And then what? ~_

_~ The cave… ~_

He knows that cave. Deep underwater, right next to the trench. It's dangerous down there, secluded.

_~ I thought the whole point of this was to keep her away from the sea. ~_

_~ Plans change, Lorenzo! Seems like my dear old man decided to kill her anyways, so might as well risk it all, don't you think? ~_

It's not like this is an actual question, or Enzo gets a real say in the matter, so he makes a face, scoffing as he resigns himself to accepting it.

_~ What about the other one? ~_

Words still feel foreign in his mind when he's trying to communicate telepathically, it's like sand getting stirred up by the shorebreak, getting jumbled around in his head, coming together, diffusing again. But Damon hears him, and replies.

_~ Her, too. ~_

Enzo rolls his eyes, adjusting his grip on the shivering girl on his shoulders. Her staccato breaths are evening out, her attempts to fight him all but fizzled out after the surprise onslaught of water Guiseppe sent their way.

He feels bad for her, and yet…

_~ She's human. We could just compel her and send her far away... ~_

There's a hint of disbelief in Damon's next words.

_~ Really, Enzo? ~_

_~ What. ~_

_~ Is this your own issues talking? ~_

_~ This has nothing to do with me. ~_

Enzo clenches and unclenches his jaw, trying to keep his growing annoyance at bay, barely able to when he sees Damon roll his eyes.

_~ Sure, my friend. Keep telling yourself that. - Well, don't worry, no one said anything about turning Blondie, okay? But she's not safe, either. Guiseppe'll track her down, no matter how 'far away' you want to send her. He'll interrogate her, then get rid of her. ~_

_~ Since when do you care about collateral damage? ~_

_~ I don't know, Enzo. ~ _Damon's tone is suddenly testy.

_~ Maybe since you managed to botch compelling her, and- ~_

_~ You're one to talk. ~_

Damon's expression morphs into a genuine grin for a moment, and Enzo wags an eyebrow at him, their destination drawing closer almost as if of its own accord.

_~ Come on, Lorenzo. You can't honestly want this poor girl dead. I know I don't… _

And finally he understands, his face lighting up.

_~ Ah, I see. Because she's Bonnie's friend, and Bonnie would never forgive you if you didn't save her. Is that it? - You falling for this girl, Damon? Already? ~_

A wink is Damon's only reply, but Enzo knows it to be true. That man has been without a proper girlfriend for too long. And as usual, his infatuation with a pretty girl will probably get them all in trouble.

_~ Anyways... - No one deserves to die just because my dear father might consider them a threat to his realm. And you'll have to agree that he will see her as such. ~_

He can't argue, so he doesn't, instead coming to a halt right at the edge of the cliff. Shrugging the half compelled girl off his shoulders, he grips her slender waist with his hands to steady her, watching as her gaze wanders around the landscape, a little lost. She's so fragile…

Earlier, before they started running, he told her to stay calm - with his gaze firmly locked on hers so as not to mess it up again. Thus she's almost too still now, except for the shivers, except for that wide-eyed look that seems to pierce right through him.

Maybe Damon is right. His compulsion could use some work…

_~ We done here, Lorenzo? Yeah? ~_

He nods, reluctantly.

_~ Then let's dive. The deep is waiting. ~_

He peeks over the cliff, eyeing the dark underneath. This is bloody idiotic. And yet he's going to do it, isn't he?

_~ You sure your father won't find us there? ~_

Damon grins at him, the briefest of flickers going through his eyes.

_~ Not a chance. Stef and I found that cave when we were little, I think I told you that story... - Walls made of basalt rather than limestone and sandstone, no way to penetrate it with telepathy. It's a little slice of paradise, my friend… ~_

_~ Sounds lovely… ~_

Damon nods, grins, then - with a brief nod - he turns his thoughts away, and Enzo is left alone in his own mind again, knowing what will happen next, how the man he has called his friend for over a century will persuade Bonnie Bennett to follow him into the deep with ease - while Enzo will have to try to somehow get the blonde before him to do the same.

Fantastic.

Focusing on her, he tries to smooth out the creases in his face, putting his best impression of a mild smile on his face, not too overly happy, but devoid of the darkness that's encroaching on his thoughts. He doesn't like this - any of it.

At least the lady is a looker.

"Alright, gorgeous," he says, cupping her chin as her pupils widen, her arms reaching up to grab him, potentially to push him away. "See your friend over there? She and Damon are going to take a little dip in the ocean."

"They… what?"

He decides to be blunt, and brief. There's no use or time for empty words and long explanations.

"They'll swim to an underwater cave so his insane father won't kill her."

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you on about? - Bon-"

He places a hand over her mouth before she can yell out for her friend, and the anger flickering in her eyes makes his lips curve upwards more. She's a feisty one. Slapping at his arm, she wiggles, but his grip on her is strong. He shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, gorgeous. We can do it this way or I can compel you again - which I'd really rather not.

"Compel me? What's that supposed to mean?" She stares up at him like he's off his rocker, a hint of disbelief and accusation making her look… cute. Her thoughts are clearly awhirl in her pretty head, and when she shakes it, trying to pull her arms loose, he has to smile despite himself. "Oh my gosh, you guys really _are_ crazy, aren't you? Bonnie…"

Sighing, he decides to cut this whole thing a bit short before the girl can work herself up even more.

"We need to go _now, _Damon," he hollers over to the other two, and Caroline falls silent as she glares at him. Then she turns to look for her friend, her body tensing, shivers stopping so abruptly that it startles Enzo a bit.

There is Damon, doing some kind of ridiculous bow, before he pulls on Bonnie's hand and they both take a leap - just like that, no warning - Bonnie gasping in disbelief as she does.

"She jumped." Caroline's mouth stands slightly open, her gaze wandering from the cliff to Enzo and back again. "She just… jumped. Bonnie! Oh gosh!… - This is not happening."

Sighing, he grits his teeth, his fingers digging into her arms as she tries to break free. Pulling her closer to him with one arm, he tugs at her chin to make her look at him, his gaze locking on hers.

She has beautiful eyes, so open, so clear...

He shakes his head before he gets lost.

"I'm afraid it is," he mutters, "And if you want to live, you'll have to come with me now."

The wind around them is picking up, the smell and taste of salt growing stronger. He can feel the world shift around him, around them. Guiseppe is onto them, sending the gods of water after them again. Not a second later, harsh pebbles of rain and hail are beginning to pelt down, Caroline shaking harder now.

"You coming?" he asks her, and he can see her struggle as she stares up at him.

"Down there?!" She snorts. "In case you didn't know this, normal people can't breathe underwater. I don't know what the hell made Bonnie jump." She breaks free with one arm and pokes a finger into his chest. "But I'm sure it was that awful creepy friend of yours. And I can tell you this: _I_'m not going! - Besides, it's freaking _cold_! I'll die either way!" Her features grow softer, less angry, more scared as she continues with a small voice, "Oh gosh, I'll die, won't I?"

"I won't let you. I'll breathe for you. I'll keep you warm."

"But…"

He fights the urge to roll his eyes.

"You worry too much, gorgeous," he tells her, debating briefly whether to explain about the cave and that there'll be air to breathe down there, and warmth. Then he decides against it. "You'll be just fine."

"I w-"

The words get ripped from her throat as he simply pulls her with him without another warning - he guesses not unlike what Damon probably did with Bonnie - and already they're in the air, floating for just a second before gravity pulls them down, and then… with a loud and harsh splash, the water envelopes them in cold darkness.

* * *

…

There are bubbles all around them, small, prickly, wafting up, and Caroline stares after them, strangely mesmerized, before the protest of her lungs jolts her out of her strange reverie and she begins to thrash and kick, trying to get up, up, and back above the water so she can breathe.

What the hell has gotten into her? And him - that awful stranger that's pulling her down with him, into a wet cold grave. She's going to die down here, she knows it. Already her mouth wants to open of its own accord, her lungs screaming for oxygen, no longer caring that there's none to be had in the murky gray around her.

This can't be happening, this…

Panicking, she flails her arms, tries to shake his hand off, kicking him - not even on purpose - as she fights to get back up. She needs to get out!

But just as her brain grows too fuzzy, the urge to just inhale pure salty water too strong, she can feel his lips on hers, can see his eyes - so clear down here, and green like the sea - feel his hands against her face, and as he breathes into her deprived lungs, her chest extends wide, welcoming the air, and she can feel herself calming again, slowly.

It's not over yet, however, her descent still in full progress, and Enzo isn't slowing down. Grappling with his shirt, she can feel those buttons again, soft and round, her fingers grazing them as she tries to process what's going on. She's so cold - until she isn't, a surge of warmth enveloping her so quickly that it startles her. Then, before she can quite comprehend, his face appears right before her again, and he presses his lips on hers, once more filling her lungs with much needed air, his eyes locking on hers, his stare too intense, and she wants to look away, tries to, but it's all dark and so deep, the bubbles still rising around them while they're descending further and further, until…

* * *

…

Is this the right decision? Damon isn't sure. Well, not entirely. He thinks it's the only way, he really does, and yet he can't help but worry for this girl in his arms as she glides down into the depth beside him.

There's a chance this could make her turn, he knows it, and in some dark corner he may even welcome that possibility, crave it to become true, but he doesn't understand why, he simply doesn't, and it makes his heart skitter around in his chest like a frightened bird.

This Bonnie Bennett, she's doing things to him, and he can't quite explain it. Watching her intently as he dives down deeper with her, leg muscles pumping, his gaze finds hers, holds it.

She is born for this, sea dweller or not. He can see it in the deep green of her eyes, the sheen behind a facade of fear and incomprehension, like her body knows what it's doing, even if she does not.

Pulling her closer, he smiles at her, swiping hair out of her face before he raises his chin, leaning in, forward, then pressing his mouth onto hers, shaking his head and stilling her movements when she tries to fight him off.

_~ I'm trying to help you, Bonnie. ~_

Does he hear her voice in his head? Does he feel it? He can't be sure.

A transition is never a quick thing. The water might baptize her, might claim her, or not. But if it does…

He blinks, trying to focus on the way down.

There's the first taste of warmth beginning to waft around them from where one of the thermal vents deep in the trench pushes its heat out into the cold of the ocean, millions of tiny organisms living their lives close to it, and he and Bonnie… they're just two more.

He's trying to breathe for her, and clearly she needs it, nothing happening to her yet, no gasping intake of ocean water, no sudden lithe fishlike movements.

Maybe she really did wake up before his blood entered her system. Maybe it happened at the exact same moment, just a split-second in which her fate got decided - and it decided to keep her… human.

They're close to the entrance of the cave now, the smallest sliver of light touching the waters just below them. It's a few more feet perhaps, not much, but all he can see is her pupils narrowing, the green looking almost impenetrable down here now, almost black, and then, when he's pushed her down with him almost all the way, and the light grows stronger around them, he suddenly sees it - and backs away, letting go of her as if she just stung him.

There's something inside of her, he can see it. But it's not the ocean - at least not just that. Her eyes…

She's looking at him, wide-eyed and panicked, arms and legs thrashing as she tries to swim upward, tries to grab him, too, tries to… survive. She's screaming, a storm of bubbles coming out of her mouth. Soon, soon she'll have to take a breath, an involuntary reflex that she won't be able to stop, and then, then she will drown - or live - down here, with him.

Her eyes are so wide, her pupils large like marbles and just as beautiful, an odd band of brightest blue and brown now shining somewhere in there.

But then he blinks, shocked, and it is gone. The sheen is gone and only this beautiful fighting girl left, still thrashing about, trying to come up to breathe, even though she must know she's too far down. Her eyes are bulging a bit now, the panic taking over, and she isn't doing it, she can't. She can't breathe…

It takes him another half second, possibly less, it's hard to tell down here, before he manages to jolt himself out of it, and with determined motions, he grabs her arms to pull her close, placing his mouth right on hers once more so he can finally, finally help her breathe.

The way she looks at him, betrayal and shock battling each other, gives him a weird pang, but she does allow him to lead her further, to take over again - though probably just because she knows she doesn't have much of a choice. The thought is sobering and all too real, and he doesn't like it.

_~ I'm sorry ~ _

He thinks it, knowing now that she won't be able to hear him, because she's most certainly not one of them or she would have already taken her first underwater breath, because that is the law of the sea and it has always been. Those who can breathe water like air, belong to the sea, and those you can't...

_~ You almost let me drown! ~_

_~ I'm sorry BonBon, I… ~_

Wait.

Tilting his head, he squints at her, confusion washing over him.

She's not of the sea. Yet he can hear her, feel her in his mind.

What then, is she?


	8. Cave

_Hi there._

_Sadly, some racist troll decided to post their thoughts as a "review" for this fic, and for the first time since writing fanfiction, I've had to delete a review - well, it wasn't one anyways. But it made me quite sad. Usually I look so forward to getting feedback and for the first time, it was no fun._

_Racists have no place here._

_Anyways. This is for you kind people who do leave actual feedback. You guys are amazing!_

_Let's make this world a happier place by being nice to each other. :)_

* * *

…

The throne room isn't large enough anymore - not when it has to contain Guiseppe Salvatore, King of the Realm, _and _his anger.

Taking off a wide pearl-adorned wristband, he storms through the room, tossing the precious piece of jewelry halfway across it, where it shatters with an explosive sound.

"Where is your brother?!" he yells, his voice both in- and outside of Stefan's head, and he grimaces as he watches his father do his rounds. He can't be certain, but something tells him that there's only one place where Damon could have gone to.

"Can't even locate the no-good sailor he likes to fraternize with! What is this?! Does everyone think they can just hide from me?!"

Pressing his lips together, Stefan stifles a scoff. Now he knows for sure. They must be at the old cave. Too close to the trench, the place is hard to get to, dangerous, so Guiseppe has never been there. The man has always been a coward after all… - and cruel.

"You know where they are? Eh? The girl vanished off the face of the planet, too. He better not have taken her down here. He better…"

Another loud banging noise, another heirloom broken and lost, but Stefan doesn't mind. It's not like he could ever see himself wearing any of them anyways - besides, at this rate, Guiseppe is probably going to live forever.

Before he has a chance to think much about it, he finds himself getting slammed against the harsh walls of the throne room, the uncut rock digging into his back.

"You do know where they are. Tell me."

Gritting his teeth, Stefan tries to clear his mind of any traitorous thoughts, but already his father is in his head, probing, hurting, pressing on until Stefan can't help but yell out in pain. It's like torture, having your thoughts invaded like that, and he knows he won't be able to withstand it for long. And then…

He can't let the man find Damon, or the girl.

"Leave the boy alone!"

Lily's shrill voice ricochets off the walls, and Guiseppe let's go of his younger son to glare at her. Stefan hasn't been this happy to see his mother in a long time.

"He's not a boy anymore, dear Lily, _and _he's helping a traitor of the realm."

She walks over with the air of someone used to grandeur, patting Stefan on the head like one would a much smaller child, a soft smile on her face. Then she turns to her husband.

"Traitor of the realm? You're talking about Damon, Guiseppe. He's hardly a traitor. A romantic idiot, perhaps, but not a traitor."

"He's going against my orders. He's bringing a stranger into our world. Need I remind you that we do not need more Turned down here? Need I remind you what happened last time?"

A flicker crosses Lily's features, something unreadable, but Stefan knows his father is getting to her. Something about her and Lorenzo and the way she brought him with her all those years ago still doesn't seem to sit right with Guiseppe, is still treated like a dirty secret…

"No," Lily allows, turning away, walking over to where shards of shells and pearls lie strewn on the ground. Bending down, she begins to pick them up, and for some reason Stefan finds himself going over to her to help. Hunching down beside her, he shoots her a glance, a question unspoken between them, something neither of them dares to even think.

"Damon will come out when he knows it's safe, not earlier. You know him," she continues, addressing her husband, her dark gaze telling Stefan that she knows.

She knows, more than him.

"And your sailor is with him, I take it."

Her smile is genuine, and a little aloof. She's never as pretty as when she goes against the king.

"What do you think?"

With an angry roar, Guiseppe keeps storming through the room, then abruptly stops, turning toward his son and wife still kneeling on the ground.

When Stefan gazes up, an eerie calm has spread, his father's face a mask with an almost threatening grin, and it makes his throat tighten, a feeling of doom coming over him.

"I think I know how to draw them out," his father says, and Stefan feels that feeling worsen.

* * *

…

They emerge out of the water finally, dripping wet and out of breath - well, the latter seems to be just Bonnie and Caroline, but that is not the point. With both her hands, Bonnie pushes herself up a weird rocky underwater beach of sorts, glaring at Damon when he tries to help her.

"Don't touch me," she hisses, pulling up until she can stand, hugging herself in her drenched clothes as if it's cold. But to her surprise, it really isn't. It's actually… quite warm. Frowning, she forces herself not to look at him too openly, because she doesn't want to see the triumph in his face, and she just knows it's there.

_See, I brought you to a cozy place_, he'll say and expect her to be grateful for saving her from from from… From what exactly? Is she honestly supposed to believe there's a mad king out to get her? Really?

With a sigh, she shakes her head, looking up eventually to search for Caroline, who is now sitting on a large rock, dazed and exhausted as she's staring over at Bonnie.

"What was that?"

The sudden touch against her arm, rather harsh and too tight, startles her, making her whirl around to glare at Damon. It's his question, and his hand that's holding her, squeezing her, and she doesn't like it.

"Let go," she says, pulling at her arm, and their gazes lock for one long quiet moment, a flicker going through his eyes, something she can't quite read, and then the moment is over, and he lets go abruptly, still staring at her.

"What was that?" he repeats, and she has no idea what he means. But apparently her shrug is not good enough for him, and when she starts walking over to her friend, he steps in her path, shaking his head.

"That thing you did?"

"What 'thing'? - I didn't do anything. You, on the other hand…" She pushes against his chest, trying to get past him, but he's not giving up so easily. Rolling her eyes when he keeps stepping in her way, she stops, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Fine. What exactly is it you think _I _did? Is it something along the lines of me telling you I'm a mermaid and can just so breathe underwater with no problems and that my evil father is now out to kill you because I may have managed to turn you into a mermaid as well? - No? I think in that case-"

"Okay, BonBon, shut up a moment, will you. I did not mean to get you in any trouble. It just kinda happened. It's not my fault you drove into the ocean and almost got yourself killed."

He looks at her with such a nonchalant smile that she catches herself almost slipping into a smile. Almost!

"Excuse me? I did not just drive into the freaking ocean, it was an accident!"

"I didn't say it wasn't."

"Yes you did."

"I did not." For a moment it looks like they're just going to go back and forth like this, but then he runs a hand over his eyes, sighing so wearily that her annoyance begins to dissipate. "Listen, Bonnie… I'm sorry, okay? I know this is a lot to process, and I wouldn't believe myself either if I were you. I get it. It sounds like the caricature of a fairytale."

"I hope it's at least the Disney version and not H.C. Andersen's original," she grumbles, earning herself a smile.

"You don't want to end up as seafoam?"

"Not particularly…"

Their gazes stay locked until it becomes awkward, and still she can't look away. Those clear eyes of his do something to her and she can't quite put her finger on what that is…

"Well, in that case: congratulations, you're not gonna turn into a mermaid. At least your involuntary bath did clear that up for us."

"You're sure about that?"

"Absolutely. - Although I still want to know how you can communicate telepathically when you're not like me."

Her brain rattles to a stop.

"I did not…" She chuckles,trailing off, her face turning into a frown. "I didn't. You're… - What are you even talking about?"

Arching an eyebrow, Damon tilts his head, a strange half-grin on his face now.

"So you don't know what you are, either."

"What I am?" An unladylike snort escapes her, just as Caroline appears by her side again.

"Everything alright over here? Bonnie? - Well." Care chuckles softly, looking uncomfortable as she glances from Bonnie to Damon, then over her shoulder to where Enzo is still standing in the shadows, then back to Bonnie, gripping her arm. "As alright as it can be under the circumstances, right?"

Bonnie licks her lips, unsure of how to answer Caroline. So she decides to focus back on Damon.

"What I _am_? I'm a girl, from Mystic Falls, Virginia." When she sees the way he tilts his head, she feels the need to add, "I'm a normal human being. Like you should be, but somehow aren't, at least not quite - if I am to believe any of this ridiculousness."

"Sweetheart." When she glares at him he raises his arms appeasingly, grinning a bright grin. "BonBon. You are many things. But you're not just a girl from Mystic Falls, Virginia, certainly not just a 'normal human being'... You talked to me down in the water, with your mind." He taps the side of his head, still grinning, and all she can do is… stare at him.

Because he's clearly mentally unstable.

His grin widens.

"I feel like you're trying to insult me," she says and scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"I'm just stating a fact."

Yup, definitely unstable. If he could at least stop smiling like that.

_~ What's wrong with smiling, grumpy? ~_

Grumpy?

The wheels in her brain come to a stuttering halt.

_~ Trying to prove a point… ~_

He's beaming at her, a touch of - sympathy? - in his features now and she tries to open her mouth, tries to say something, but it's impossible.

_~ You really don't know what you are, do you? Have you never used telepathy before? Bonnie? ~_

"Bonnie. Hey…"

She blinks, trying to comprehend. This can't be happening. Did she honestly just converse with this guy in her mind? Really?

Can her life get any weirder?

* * *

…

Sheila is humming a song, going about her business as if on autopilot. There's a soup cooking on the stove, a small fire burning away in the fireplace while she's sipping a glass of kitchen wine. Red. A bit heavy on the tannins. But it'll do.

Smiling, she looks out the window, where fall is in full progress, turning the leaves into a display of fiery colors, and she thinks of Bonnie. She misses her granddaughter but she knows the girl is-

Abruptly, she jolts out of her musings, spilling her drink as she does. Making a face, she puts the glass down, dabbing at a dark stain that has spread on her apron. This won't come out easily.

But that is not the real issue here, is it? No, she feels like she just woke from a strange slumber, images dissipating as she realizes Bonnie isn't where she's supposed to be. Someone made Sheila forget - or, they tried to. And now Bonnie is somewhere away, and something has triggered her powers.

This is not good. The poor child doesn't even know…

Time to remedy that.

* * *

…

The whole thing is bizarre. Shaking her head to herself, Caroline is trying to make sense of this, and failing.

"What is this here? Am I the only one who's not some enhanced type of being? What happened to just being plain old human?" she says, half addressing the other three, half just trying to sort her crazy racing thoughts. Is she seriously supposed to believe that the two guys are mermaids - mermen, merpeople, whatever the hell the appropriate term even is? And now Bonnie is apparently also able to speak with them telepathically?

Feeling suboptimal has never been something she struggled with before. Heck, she was a cheerleader, always popular, and she's smart! But now… Suddenly she's lacking certain special skills, and that's not even the worst. She's in a freaking underwater cave, with two strangers and her poor best friend who looks utterly confused now, more than Caroline herself.

"Hey, Bonnie," she says, gently putting an arm around the girl. "You okay?"

Bonnie turns to look at her with a lost expression, shrugging.

"I don't know, Care. I don't know what's going on anymore."

"You really…" Caroline leans in a bit, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "You really spoke with him, in here?" She taps her head, not very inconspicuous at all, but what does it matter. These boys probably see and hear everything anyways.

Shooting covert glances, she sees the one called Damon smile at Bonnie, then meeting Caroline's gaze and winking. Her cheeks flush red almost immediately, and she looks away, staring straight into Enzo's dark eyes.

So much for being covert… Pressing her lips together, she forces herself to not look away this time.

He's sitting on a rocky ledge, arms crossed, an indifferent, almost bored expression on his face before it turns into the beginnings of a smile.

Her lips moving, as if a part of her already knows what to say while her mind hasn't quite caught up, she feels a sound making its way out of her, an "If you don't stop looking-" that gets cut off abruptly when Bonnie finally answers.

"I think I'm going crazy, Care. I'm talking in my head, with Damon - the merman that saved me from drowning, and now saved me again, from his homicidal father. Tell me I'm in a coma or something. This can't be real."

Caroline is quick to return her full attention to her friend, not without glaring at Enzo first, who's smirking rather smugly at her.

"You're not going crazy, Bonnie. Or… maybe we both are." A desperate chuckle makes its way out of her, and she wraps her arms around her friend briefly. "I know this all sounds insane."

"Yah," Bonnie scoffs. "To put it mildly… - Here I thought the whole mermaid thing was the crazy part, or the tsunami that almost caught us in the middle of town, or… or, hell, even the fact that someone out there apparently wants to kill me! And then it turns out that's not even the worst. No, I am a telepath now?"

"I'm sure there's an explanation for it. You were oxygen deprived, you were panicking-"

"No, Care. I wasn't. Not right now. Not two minutes ago. I was perfectly alright in this… this way too fancy little cave with its too nice temperature, when I should feel way more uncomfortable!"

Bonnie keeps going on, her anger making her step away from Caroline and over to Damon.

"What the hell did you do to me?"

"This wasn't me, BonBon, I swear," he tells her, and Caroline doesn't even know where to look because it's so clear that these two have chemistry whether they can see it or not. The cave is on fire around them.

Shaking her head, she tries to stay out of it, tries to stay calm, flinching away when she suddenly feels a whiff of warm breath against the side of her neck.

"So you see it too, huh?" He smirks, his arms moving up and out, his fingers together then suddenly opening wide as he mimes. "Sparks exploding. It's a real fireworks show."

"What?"

"Come on, gorgeous, don't play dumb. Your friend Bonnie, and Damon, their obvious attraction for each other..."

That accent of his, she doesn't know whether to be annoyed by it or… attracted. No. She scoffs, rolling her eyes - whether at herself or Enzo's words, she doesn't know. She does want to argue, she wants to tell him how ridiculous of an assumption that is, but she can't. Because he's right. There _are _sparks in the air, the atmosphere tense with a weird current emanating from her best friend and that… merprince.

"Damon really is the king's son?" she deflects, because it's probably best if she doesn't admit that she thinks he's right about them. He's the type whose smirk would grow too big…

"Indeed, he is."

"So, he's a prince."

"I guess you could call it that. Though the world down here works a bit differently."

"Clearly…" She rolls her eyes, again, but he doesn't seem to notice or care.

"You don't want to be here."

A genuine laugh escapes her at his statement, then she shoots him a glance, her brow creasing, and she sighs.

"I don't blame you," he continues, surprising her with the sudden sincerity in his tone, his whole stance. He's changed so abruptly from one second to the next that she doesn't quite know how to react. "I don't want to be here, either. Not that that is any consolation."

The smile is back, not in his eyes, however, just playing around his mouth.

"Let me ask Damon how he thinks this is going to go from here…"

With that he nudges her shoulder, and walks past her, just like that, leaving her standing there, flustered.

"Yeah, you do that! Tell him he can flirt with my best friend above ground. Where it's dry! And not so dark," she blurts out, because she has to say something, although she's already feeling silly before the words are completely out.

Then, when he turns around, just briefly, a real smile lighting up his eyes in the dimness of the cave, her legs grow strangely wobbly. Silly, she reminds herself, this is all very silly and why Bonnie even gives Damon the time of day is a mystery to her. These boys in their ridiculous old people clothes and ridiculous stories of…

Her thoughts fade away when she realizes Enzo is coming back to her, grabbing her hand while all she can do is stare and frown at him.

"Here," he says, placing something on her palm, and when she looks, it's that button again, the one she still doesn't quite remember having gotten before. It was just there…

"It's yours. You seemed to be quite fond of it."

"I wasn't! I…" Exasperated, she swallows, unable to come up with anything else to say, so she resumes staring at him instead, trying hard not to let his smile affect her.

"Alright," is all he says, then he walks away again, this time for real, making his way over to Damon, whispering something in the other man's ear, his gaze locking on Caroline's, making her bite down on the inside of her lower lip.

What is it with these merpeople and their effect on Bonnie and her?

It's got to be some kind of magic.

* * *

…

_~ Bonnie. Child. Can you hear me? ~_

Bonnie is shaking her head. She has begun pacing the rocky ground of this underwater cavern, looking left, then right, up, then down, then doing it all over again.

It's a neat place down here, she has to admit that. There's a sheen coming from the roof, something Damon explained to her is due to bioluminescent bacteria, a side effect of being so close to some thermal vents that are surrounding this place - and that are apparently the reason why it's also rather balmy warm in here.

Still, she'd like some dry clothes, and maybe a place to sit that's not covered in rock, and besides, she's also getting rather hungry.

_~ We can remedy that. There's fish-_

_~ I do not want fish! ~_

It doesn't help that there's constantly another one's voice in her head and she hasn't quite figured out the intricacies of this new skill of hers. What should be just thoughts sometimes end up being transferred over to Damon, even though she's not actively trying to communicate - and it makes her paranoid. What if she communicates something rather inappropriate at some point?

_~ Bonnie. It's going to be okay… ~_

She's hearing all kinds of voices now, not just his. It's almost as if her Grams is there too…

"Come on, BonBon. Let me at least show you the little corner my brother and I set up ages ago to be our chill-out-zone. You'll love it, I promise. - This is not gonna be for long, anyways. Just until I get a chance to talk some sense into my old man - and I intend to do that straight away."

"So, what is that supposed to mean, exactly? How long are we talking here?"

She flips her hair to the side, pushing her fists into her sides as she glares at Damon. Trying hard not to show him that she's glad he didn't use his _inner voice _this time, she tenses her whole body, waiting for his reply.

He tilts his head, showing his too perfect teeth, his eyes taking on an even brighter gleam in the strange light from above, and her hands grow sweaty.

He's just so…

_~ Bonnie Sheila Bennett! Channel your thoughts! Focus. ~_

Frowning, she looks over at Damon, half expecting him to shrug and say something about this other voice. Instead, he's still just smiling.

"A day. Tops. - Maybe two. Just to make sure I don't lead anyone down here. I'll send Enzo back with some food ahead of time. Okay?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I? It's not like I'll be able to swim back up without you."

"Aw, BonBon." He clutches his chest above his heart as if she hurt him. "You're not my prisoner, if that's what you think. I'm doing this to keep you safe. And I even brought you your friend, made sure she's safe too."

"You expect me to thank you now?"

"Nothing wrong with a bit of gratitude."

Scoffing, she suppresses a grin at his audacity. She wants to be annoyed with him, but somehow he's getting under her skin in ways that she can't explain away like that. Does she… _like_ him?

_~ You need to stay away from him, Bonnie. Listen to me. Listen inside of you. You can hear me, I know you can. ~_

_~ Grams? ~_

Her eyes widen, a soft gasp escaping her. This can't be real…

_~ Child._ _You need to stay away from him. ~_

_~ I can't. It's a long story. ~_

_~ I know, Bonnie. I remember everything now. He's of the sea. And you- ~_

_~ And I? What the hell am I, Grams? What are you? I thought mermaids were fairytales and now it turns out I'm a freak too? ~_

_~ No. Babygirl. I'm sorry. I thought we still had time. You were not supposed to come into your powers just yet, but something triggered it. ~_

_~ My powers. ~_

_~ You're Faerie folk, Bonnie. A child of the land. - And you can't - under any circumstances - mingle with the ones of the sea. ~_

...


	9. Choppy waters

_Thanks so much for your kind words everyone! Sorry, I'm still struggling. *Sigh*_

_Anyways, I finally managed to finish this chapter. So here it is:_

* * *

…

Bonnie's world stutters to a halt. The cave, the chipper looking man with his blinking bright blue eyes before her fade away as her Grams' words ring in her head.

_You're Faerie folk, Bonnie, _she said. _A child of the land. - And you can't - under any circumstances - mingle with the ones of the sea._

It just doesn't make sense. Faerie folk? What does that even mean?

_~ It means you're fae, child. You weren't supposed to come into your powers before your 25th birthday, however, which is when faeries come of age. But your… accident must have triggered your transformation. ~_

Now Grams is just being ridiculous, and Bonnie doesn't like it. Transformation makes it sound a lot grander than the already mind-blowing fact that she's using telepathy to communicate.

"Who are you talking to BonBon?"

Damon's voice chimes back in, making its way into her conscience, and she looks to him, shrugging.

"What's it to you?"

"Whoa, no need to be so testy. I just want to know whether whoever has the power to reach you down here can also locate you."

_~ Don't tell him anything. Remember, you need to stay away from him and his people. ~_

She closes her eyes, sighing.

_~ It's a little too late for that. I'm stuck in a freaking cave with them, Grams. What would you have me do? - Oh and also: Damon would like to know whether you can locate me down here… ~_

There's silence for a while, long enough to make Bonnie think her grandmother decided to just leave her, without providing any answers, but then - while Damon is doing a funny, almost cute little impression in front of her, tilting his head and waving his arms - Sheila is suddenly back.

_~ I don't know where you are. All I see is water. - Babygirl, you need to be careful. Faeries and those of the sea… ~_

She trails of, not continuing, and it makes Bonnie's hairs stand on end.

_~ What? What about faeries and those of the sea? ~_

_~ Don't tell him what you are, Bonnie. Promise me that. Under no circumstances. ~_

_~ Why not? What are you not telling me? ~_

_~ There's been a war between our people, for centuries… - Your mother was abducted and almost killed by one of them, but she could escape. She's never talked about it since, but I do believe it's part of the reason why she left us, why she left you… - Bonnie, these people, they're our foes. Don't let them get too close. - We'll have to try and get you away from them, get you out of there. ~_

This is all too much. Her mother… she was abducted? By one of Damon's people? Is this what's happening with Bonnie, too?

_~ How did she escape? ~_

The question makes its way out of her, a deep need to know making her cling to it, making her wait in desperate anticipation for her grandmother's answer. There's this odd feeling growing inside of her that an important piece of information is still missing, something rather crucial.

_~ It doesn't matter. One day, she was back. She stayed for maybe a year after that, but she was never the same. It was as if part of her was still gone, away. Eventually, she had you, but even that didn't bring her back. And then she was gone again, this time for real… ~_

Bonnie doesn't know what to think. She can't - can't think, can't process. Her family are faeries. She's in an underwater cave with two men that apparently belong to a species that has been at war with hers for a damn long time.

"BonBon, I really need to know who you're talking to, and whether they can-"

"It's my Grams, alright?!" she blurts out, angry now, upset, glaring at Damon. "And no, she doesn't know where I am!"

"Easy, now. - That's… good. It means the old man won't be able to use her to track us. - Any idea how you guys can communicate like… that?"

He nudges her forehead, the touch warm and light and way too gentle, way too… soothing. She wants to lean into him, wants to give up and give in and take a few deep, deep breaths. But of course she can't. That's just ridiculous.

"I…"

She almost blurts out what her Grams told her, at the very last second remembering that she can't. If Damon finds out she's a _faerie…_

_~ You're… fae?! ~_

Bonnie freezes, holding her breath, Damon's unblinking stare boring into her. Oh no…

* * *

…

Taking a few calculated steps back, Damon scrutinizes the girl in front of him, wary now - even though he's not as afraid as he probably should be. Because wouldn't you know it, Bonnie Bennett is a faerie. In the glow from the rocky ceiling above, her skin has taken on a deep and almost cool bluish hue that makes her look even more enticing. That is just his luck, falling for the enemy.

"Isn't this bloody perfect," Enzo suddenly blurts out, always with the timely and annoyingly obvious statements, and Damon rolls his eyes in anticipation of what his friend is about to say. "Damon Salvatore manages to rescue and abduct a bloody faerie, so now there's not only your father coming for us, but potentially an entire army of these… things."

"Hang on, what? Bonnie? Is that… you're all kidding, right?"

Poor Blondie looks more lost than anyone, and Damon almost wants to go over to where she's sitting and compel her right here on the spot to forget everything, but he doesn't. Too much is going on, and her delicate feelings are not a priority.

"Not helping, Enzo," he therefore merely says, then focuses back on Bonnie, who is still standing before him, a little further away now, arms crossed in a defensive stance, green eyes gleaming bright, and he has to smile.

"You're faerie folk. Bonnie Bennett, who would have thought. I rescued a goddamn faerie."

Shaking his head, he snorts, running a hand over his face. This is pure gold. It's also rather inconvenient. If his father learns about this new development of things, there won't be any chance for him to save Bonnie anymore. And he still wants to save her, even now.

Especially now.

She's a faerie.

"Somehow I thought you folks looked… smaller."

Bonnie rolls her eyes as he chuckles.

"I know, I know, not funny. We don't have fish tails, you are not minuscule or have wings."

"You think this is all a joke."

"I don't. But you gotta admit it's a bit funny at least, us being here. Under the sea… - Legend has it you folks can't live long underwater, so I'm a little surprised you made it down here. You were in the water for minutes after your accident, too…"

His thoughts are suddenly racing, suspicion making its way into his mind. Frowning, he steps closer again, getting over his first initial wary reaction.

"What are you really?"

"Excuse me?"

Her exasperated stance is rather endearing. She's short - for a human, her arms pushing up against her boobs in a way she probably doesn't notice makes her cleavage look way too enticing. Damon has trouble keeping his eyes away, and is glad when she doesn't seem to pick up on it.

"You think this is funny? That I'd come up with something as… as idiotic as this? My Grams even told me not to tell you this, but of course I managed to screw it up, because I didn't even freaking know faeries existed up until… let me think, five minutes ago! Now I'm supposed to be one, and you are supposed to be my enemy, and I'm basically at your mercy! Wouldn't you think I'd have come up with something else than pretending to be a faerie to protect myself? Lying about this would make zero sense. Zero!"

He smiles. Maybe he should have interrupted her little rant, but she's kinda cute when she's angry, and besides… Listening to her made him aware that she's right. It wouldn't make sense for her - or anyone - to lie about being a faerie. Still, something doesn't add up.

Turning to Enzo, he inclines his head, thinking.

"You ever heard of a faerie getting turned into one of the sea?"

Enzo - sitting on a rocky ledge, arms folded, and leaning back like he's watching a play unfold - shakes his head. His friend's attitude would annoy Damon if he wasn't so used to it. Besides, he's often guilty of the same kind of nonchalance.

"Can't say I have, mate."

"Yeah, me neither."

Damon isn't done thinking this over, when Enzo's following question makes him aware of more problems.

"Now, could you enlighten me on what the plan going forward should be? Between Guiseppe and the potential wrath of the faerie folk for stealing one of theirs," he waves off-handedly over to Bonnie, "who do you think is gonna get us first? Because I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather not get caught by either of them."

Enzo has a point, unfortunately. Sighing, Damon steps closer to Bonnie, putting an arm around her shoulder leisurely.

"BonBon. Your revelation puts us into a bit of a tight spot."

She shakes him off, glaring for just a moment before she visibly deflates. Blondie is by her side in seconds, tugging at her friend. And while Bonnie may have stopped staring daggers at him, he can't say the same about this girl.

"So, Barbie. Are you a faerie, too?"

He beams at her as her angry glare intensifies, then he holds up his arms to appease her.

"Just a question... - We need to know what we're up against here. If you're one of them too, or, heck, a wood nymph going by your looks, I'd like to know it now. - I still need to talk to my dad, make sure we can get you girls out of here, preferably without falling prisoner along the way."

Blondie scoffs, Bonnie snorts, making him grin at her. She really is cute when she's frazzled.

"I'm not a wood nymph," Blondie interrupts his thoughts. "What is this, a fairy tale? Tell me all these creatures aren't actually real."

"Sorry to disappoint, gorgeous," Enzo chimes in. "But for once Damon's not making this up."

"Hey," he makes, shooting Enzo a look that makes his friend shrug.

"So, you still going to set out and talk to the big bad merking? - What about the ladies?"

"Well…" Damon makes a face, shrugging. "Despite Bonnie's rather shocking heritage, I do still have to chat with the old man, it's not like we can stay down here forever. - You'll have to go and grab them some grub, some dry clothes, and wait here till I'm back." He creases his brow, taking Bonnie in again. It's a shame he can't read her thoughts, because he'd love to know what's going on behind that pretty face.

_~ You sure your 'Grams' won't be able to spy us out? ~_

_~ I already answered that. Would help if you listened sometimes. ~_

She's sassy, he likes it.

_~ Easy there, Bon. Just making sure. - Can you ask her to hold off on sending the cavalry? I promise I'm just keeping you down here for your own safety. ~_

_~ Cavalry? ~_

The poor girl doesn't know a thing. And Damon finds himself feeling sorry for her. For a freaking faerie.

He hates faeries. They're sneaky little bastards, they killed too many of his kind, and yet… He can't hate this girl. She doesn't even know who she is yet, doesn't know anything.

_~ You really have no idea, have you? ~_

There, the crossed arms again, the defiant stance. Blondie is huddled up by her side, but Bonnie looks almost protective of her friend. One thing is for sure, the other girl - whatever she is, if she is anything other than human - she also doesn't have an inkling.

"My Grams says your people and ours have been fighting a centuries-long war. Is that true?"

He nods, wary, unsure what she's aiming at.

"She says to tell you that there is indeed a 'cavalry', as you call it, lying in wait to retrieve me if need be."

"This is getting better by the minute," Enzo says from his remote spot, but Damon ignores him this time, and so does Bonnie, whose eyes are trained on Damon alone. He can't say he minds. She has beautiful eyes...

"Did you tell your grandma what I said? I'm not gonna hurt you. I'll try and come up with a plan to meet your people somewhere so you can get back to them, but you have to promise I'll be safe, too. Can you do that?"

That's the real question.

* * *

…

She feels like a mouthpiece, talking about things she doesn't understand, can't comprehend for the life of her.

_~ You'll learn, babygirl. Soon, you'll learn. For now, reiterate what I told you. ~_

She rolls her eyes, taking a deep breath.

She's a faerie, and there's tons more like her. How is that possible? Exchanging a glance with Caroline, who looks at her, wide-eyed and nervously fingering some token in her hand, she then turns back to Damon.

His eyes are gleaming even bluer under the light of the bioluminescence coming from above, and she can't help but feel drawn to them - to him. Something about him…

Shaking her head to jolt herself out of it, she opens her mouth. Out loud, she says, "They'll give you until midnight tomorrow, then they'll come for your kind. They'll come for them and kill them until Caroline and I have been returned."

"Why don't we get you two out of here right away?" Enzo hops up, sidling over to Damon, his gaze on Bonnie as he continues talking. She can't read either of these men, but Enzo gives off an almost hostile vibe that doesn't seem to go with his words.

"Enzo, we've been over this."

The men glare at each other, and Bonnie exchanges another glance with Care. Maybe it could help them if they got these two to start arguing, to get distracted. Then again, how are they supposed to find their way out of the cave and up to the surface without their help? Pressing her lips together in annoyance and frustration, she decides to just observe for now, and listen.

"That was before it turned out the girl you saved is faerie folk - before it turned out she will be very capable of taking care of herself, and that she has a bloody army behind her."

"Now you're exaggerating."

"Damon." Enzo rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he does. Then he walks closer to Bonnie, closer to Care, and Bonnie pulls at her friend, trying to stare him down as he gets too close. "Tell him you don't need his help, love, and this can be over in minutes. We'll bring both of you up. Your people will take care of you. Guiseppe will be their problem to deal with, as will keeping you alive. It's easy."

"Lorenzo. Shut up, will you? You're missing the finer points of this all."

"Which are? Enlighten me, mate, I really want to know."

Damon makes a face, looking at Bonnie with an excusing smile as he walks over until he's right in front of her, so close she can feel the warmth emanating from his body, can feel his breath against her cheek.

"Apologies, BonBon. My dear friend is a little rash sometimes. - Enzo, if you bring the girls up right now, chances are you and I will get kidnapped in the process - killed if we are lucky. And I know you have a streak for the morbid and all, but I'd rather not die just yet. So, keeping them down here will preserve our own safety."

Bonnie's head is swimming. But in the craziness that is her life now, Damon's words actually do make sense. Still...

"What about Guiseppe then? The longer we wait, the higher the chances he'll find us here."

"I'll still have to go and talk to him. If you don't hear back from me before the ultimatum is up, it'll be on you to get the girls to safety."

"And potentially get killed in the process, alone?"

Damon grins innocently as Enzo scoffs in annoyance.

"Bloody fantastic."

Bonnie can't help but agree with him. Damon's "plan" is no plan at all. What is he even trying to accomplish by talking to his dad - this man... Guiseppe, the king?

_~ Did you say, king, Bonnie? ~_

Suddenly, Grams is back in her head, her tone sounding odd, and Bonnie feels the back of her neck begin to prickle.

Damn telepathy.

* * *

…

* * *

…

Going for a swim has always been the best way to clear his mind, but it's not the reason why Stefan finds himself in the ocean now. The waters are choppy, a storm brewing up ahead, and he can feel a shift in the atmosphere, like something dark is about to come down on all of them.

The clouds above have taken on a rather deep gray color and he has no doubt that it's about to pelt down on him - but of course that doesn't matter when you're already soaking wet, and a creature of the sea.

He looks around himself, then takes a measured breath before he dives back down with ease, his vision quickly adjusting to the murkiness underneath.

Of course he still knows the way, but he has to be careful. After all, one wrong move, and he'll lead his father's guards straight to Damon's hideout.

No, he has to be careful.

Barely has he thought that thought, when he suddenly feels himself getting tangled, however, and bewildered, then shocked he realizes that it's a wide net that's being tightened around him.

No.

Wriggling, he tries to find the way out, tries to find a loophole before the net tightens too much, but within seconds it's too late, the rope too strong as it cocoons him, making it impossible for him to keep moving of his own accord.

What the hell is going on? The fishermen out here have never managed to catch one of them. It shouldn't be possible, it's the ancient way. They steer clear of the people of the sea, and in turn, the fishermen here get help from them finding the best fishing grounds.

They wouldn't just…

Stefan's thoughts come to a jarring stop as a new realization makes him grit his teeth and tense his body, trying to fight the net and its pull upward one last time.

His father made a deal, didn't he? Offering up his own son… to lure out the other one.

_~ You have always been smart, Stefan, I'll say that. Now don't fight and they'll let you go again as soon as this is over and your brother has given over the girl. ~_

_~ Why do you even want her so badly? It's not the end of the world to have her become a Turned, is it? I get it, the thing with Enzo is still making you angry, but… not every Turned is gonna have an affair with Lily, alright? Let the girl go. ~_

_~ Not so smart after all. Well, if you must know... This has nothing to do with your mother, but everything with who this girl is. ~_

_~ Who she is? What are you on about? Do you know her? ~_

_~ I knew her mother. ~_

* * *

…

* * *

…

Caroline wakes up with a start, finding herself lying huddled next to Bonnie in a corner, warm cushions underneath her, a blanket enveloping her, and a sky full of stars above her.

"What…"

She trails off almost immediately as memory whooshes back and she understands what she's really looking at: the eerily glooming ceiling of the cave, adorned with a few iridescent shells here and there, reflecting back the sparse bluish light. This is not the sky, it's a roof, and the one thing keeping her from being drowned by tons and tons of ocean water above her.

"Can't sleep, gorgeous?"

She pushes herself up with her arms, alert now, looking down on poor exhausted Bonnie, who is still sleeping, before her gaze falls on Enzo, who is sitting casually leaning against the other side of the wall, his face half obscured by bluish shadows. He and Damon left hours ago...

"You're back," she says, jerking her chin at him, and he smirks back.

"Fast on the uptake, I see."

She glares at him, making a face, then watches as he slowly gets up to toss something at her.

"Hey!" She's ready to protest, to get angry, but then she sees a waterproof bag lying right before her, and curiosity wins. "I hope those are some fresh clothes and toiletries, and food."

He tilts his head, clicking his tongue, then sits back down, watching her as she unpacks, and she can't help but look up again and again.

"Look somewhere else."

His scoff practically yells amusement, and it makes her even more annoyed.

"Suit yourself. I have better things to do than babysit you and your faerie friend anyways."

"Oh ya? Well, newsflash: no one asked you to 'babysit'! Also, no one asked you to abduct me and my friend. So screw you!"

He raises his arms, has the audacity to smirk at her again, then moves to leave, and she's already continuing on with unpacking whatever treasures are in the bag when he says her name.

"Caroline." He sighs, lingering as she stares up at him.

"What?"

"You should watch out who you associate with. You'll end up as collateral damage along the way if you don't, I can tell you that."

"Why's that? Because that's what you ended up as?"

She raises her chin, meeting his gaze head-on, but grows flustered the second she notices a strange flicker cross through his eyes, like her words actually… hurt him. Frowning, she tries to come up with something else to say, a question perhaps, but then he turns away, the moment over before it really began, and Enzo stalks off into the darkness of the rest of the cave, leaving her with…

A few soft dry shirts and sweatpants - sweatpants?! - and a few granola bars, bottled water, and…

"Hey, where's the deodorant? Where's the toothbrushes?" she hollers into the void, upset again as she sifts through the contents of the bag, dumping everything out eventually. "We're gonna be here for what? Another freaking day? I'll need more than this! I'll stink! My teeth already feel awful! And who in their right mind would bring a girl stupid sweatpants to wear?!"

She doesn't expect a reply, she's pretty sure he's hiding out somewhere, just far enough so he'll be able to tell Damon he made sure they are okay without actually interacting with them, but still. She has to get her anger out.

"Ugh, this sucks!"

"Don't worry, love. You'll still look gorgeous in sweatpants."

Raising her head, she blinks into the blue nothing, sighing when she can't see him. With a roll of her eyes she then looks down at Bonnie, deciding that sweats and granola bars are not a good enough reason to wake the poor girl up.

They could all use a break from this nightmare, and at least Bonnie still gets to enjoy hers.


	10. Awhirl

…

Everything is water. Deep, blue hues are swirling around her, lulling her, dragging her off. Her hair is swaying with the seaweed, her fingers splayed, her legs, her arms, her body weightless, and it's so beautiful down here…

_~ Bonnie, it's time to wake up. ~_

She doesn't want to. She's not here to wake up. It's warm, she's comfortable. She belongs.

_~ No. You don't. Not like that. ~_

Trying to shush the voice, she opens her eyes, mesmerized to see a whirlwind of tiny bubbles glittering their way up around her. It's a breathtaking sight, which reminds her that she can't breathe down here.

Oh.

Or maybe she can…

His image floats by - Damon with his hair half obscuring his face, though the piercing blue of his eyes shines through even now. There's an urgency in his expression, like he's trying to tell her something, but abruptly something pulls him back, back, and away, his mouth wide open now, a silent scream making its way out in a torrent of more bubbles and all she can do is stare on in horror.

"Damon!"

She's not sure she yelled it out loud, but when she looks around, she's back in the cave, everything else just a dream remembered, and Caroline is looking down on her with worry in her features.

"You okay, Bonnie?"

Scoffing, she pushes herself up, trying to pull herself together, then she nods.

"Yeah, I… weird dream, is all." She shrugs, grinning, taking a look around the place. "Our two favorite mermen still gone?"

"One of them is back… - Damon is still gone, though. - Enzo brought us this…"

Caroline gives her a look as she points at her own outfit, then a pile of things not far from them, and Bonnie snorts, genuinely amused.

"Nice. This oddly suits you. Reminds me of our cheerleader days somehow." She chuckles as Care rolls her eyes, moving to grab another pair of the same kind of sweatsuit she's wearing and Bonnie's smile turns wry.

"I guess it's better than nothing?"

"Yah, not sure about that. At least it's comfy, though. Oh, and… not to forget this… diverse choice of granola bars if hunger strikes."

Another eye roll, another chuckle, but Bonnie realizes she genuinely doesn't care anymore. It's food, she's ravenous, and when she rummages through them she sees there's a chocolate chip version at least, so she grabs that one and eats it as soon as she's changed into the sweat pants and shirt, flopping down again next to her friend as she starts munching.

"So, where's your shadowy friend."

"He's not my friend."

Caroline looks indignant, and Bonnie chuckles again. There's something funny about it all, at least: the way Care seems to think it's not obvious that she kind of has the hots for Damon's dark-eyed companion. (The thought gives her an odd pang of… guilt? As if she, too, has developed a thing for… - No. No no no no no!)

"Well, okay," she quickly says. "Where is he, though? Did he say anything about Damon?"

"Uh uh. - He's basically been hiding out in some dark corner or other ever since…"

When Caroline trails off, Bonnie tilts her head, squinting at her friend curiously.

"Ever since what?"

"Oh never mind."

"What?" She frowns. There's something in her friend's tone that implies something happened.

Sure enough, Care gives a tired sigh.

"He said something, then I said something, and ever since then things have been… weird, I guess."

"That sounds ominous. Any chance for more details? What did he say? What did you say?"

"Ugh. I'm telling you. Guys," Caroline says a little too cryptically for Bonnie's liking. "I don't know what it is with them… if they can't be our knights in shining armor, they grow all petulant and too proud."

"You're not making this much clearer at all, Care…" Bonnie winks at the other girl, who doesn't seem to quite catch her drift, staring off into the bluish darkness down in the cave.

"It's… nothing. He was warning me about who I hang out with - I'm assuming he meant you - basically telling me to stay away from you. I mean, what the hell? That douche has no right to do that! You're my best friend and I'll stick with you forever!"

Bonnie has to smile, both touched and amused by the fire in her best friend's reply.

"Pretty much called me future collateral damage."

Bonnie's smile slips off her face as she raises an eyebrow.

"Collateral damage?"

"I know, right? Like, what does he think is going on here? That the next war between faeries and merpeople is about to start or something? And I'll get tossed aside or sacrificed right at the start?" Caroline chuckles a little forcefully. "Anyways. I called him out on it. Said he's just saying it because _he'_s probably been nothing but collateral damage in the past. - And no." Caroline gives Bonnie a look, huffing, "I don't know what I was trying to say with that, but it sounded good when I did. So there."

Collateral damage… Bonnie bites her lip as her thoughts get hung up on those two words. The girls exchange a glance, neither of them saying anything for a while. The granola bar suddenly feels way too dry in Bonnie's mouth as a strange feeling gets ahold of her. Like Enzo knew what he was talking about. She doesn't want Care to become collateral damage. But suddenly it seems like an actual possibility. Already her poor friend is down here cut off from everyone and everything because of Bonnie. - Because of this whole craziness.

As if on cue, a feeling of dread comes over her, as if something bad is about to happen.

"Bonnie? Hey…"

Care is putting her arms around her, smiling encouragingly.

"I'm sorry, here I am rambling on about nothing, when you must be so confused about this whole thing."

Trying to smile, Bonnie grabs her best friend's hands, holding them tightly as she shakes her head.

"Nah. Just because I managed to get us in this huge mess because I can't drive a car for shit doesn't mean you don't have equal reason for being annoyed and upset - and yes, pretty freaking confused." She sighs, looking sideways up into Caroline's comforting face. "Ach, Care. What the hell have I gotten us into? What do we even do now? What if Damon never comes back?"

"Oh." A soft chuckle escapes the blonde. "If there's one thing I know with absolute certainty it's that that particular merman will be coming back for you."

Scoffing, Bonnie scrunches up her face. "What are you on about?"

"Nothing…"

Caroline's grin widens.

* * *

…

The way over to his father's underwater palace isn't too far, but Damon has to be cautious. He doesn't want anyone to find him, to follow him, or bring him in. He can't risk Guiseppe finding Bonnie, especially not now that it turned out she's so much more than what he first assumed.

Pondering about this new truth, this new obstacle - that he's met a goddamn faerie and for some odd reason decided to keep her safe rather than give her up - he keeps going, pushing onward until he can see the place come up before him. It's a large structure, a cave so much bigger than the one his faerie is currently hiding out in, and it's easy enough to get in without running into any of the guards if you know the place as well as Damon does. He has to smile to himself. His father will never know how easy it is to get into the place without being seen. It's a good thing (_or a bad one, depending on who you ask…_) the enemy is so bad about being close to the water, or the man would have died ages ago, overrun by his nemesis.

When Damon emerges out of the pool that leads up to the throne room, he's still not been confronted by anyone, and the look of shock on his father's face when Damon pops his head above water and hollers out a, "Father, I'm home!" is priceless.

The man whirls around, his features scrunching up and almost sliding off before he catches himself, waiting as Damon swaggers over to him.

"Care to chat, old man? I heard you have it in for my dear new friend Bonnie. But that was before you knew who she is-"

"I know who she is, son," Guiseppe waves him off, smugness back in his features. "More importantly, I know _what _she is."

Triumph slips off Damon's face but he forces himself to keep on smiling despite a sudden sense of acute dread. How the hell does his father know?

"Your little damsel is fae, and I bet that _you _don't know who she really is."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, son." Guiseppe smiles, the expression looking threatening as he bridges the remaining gap between them, patting Damon on the shoulder in a patronizing way. "She's a Bennett. - You don't know who the Bennetts are, do you?"

"Can't say I do. But I'm sure you're just itching to enlighten me…" Damon's nonchalance is merely superficial now, wariness making him tense up.

Guiseppe's shit-eating grin doesn't help matters, and Damon swallows, making sure his own expression remains neutral. He doesn't want his father to see how nervous his words have made him.

"The Bennetts, Damon, are one of the most influential faerie families. And rumor has it that dear Abby Bennett - who, as it turns out, is your little damsel's mother - is said to have had an affair with one of us."

_What?_

Schooling his face quickly, Damon manages not to let his surprise show. But this is big. It's… shocking - if it's true. It wouldn't be the first time Guiseppe has told a lie, but in this case… Somehow it doesn't feel like he's lying at all.

"She didn't tell you, then?" Guiseppe's beam makes his impenetrable eyes flicker with a dark light, and Damon knows this is not all his father has in store for him today. This won't go as smoothly as he had hoped. Asking his father to let him return Bonnie as swiftly as possible to her people so as to prevent a war, something tells him the old man won't go for that anymore.

Channeling his inner voice, he tries to reach Bonnie. But the distance between them makes the endeavor a stretch, especially since she's so inexperienced in using her mind to communicate. Still, he has to try.

_~ Bonnie. - Bonnie! - Did you know? ~_

Distinctly, he feels a wave of affronted anger, if no actual words. But he takes it to mean that she indeed didn't know - and it makes him feel slightly better.

"Maybe it's because rumor also has it that dear Abby didn't leave alone," Guiseppe drones on, shuffling along the throne room like he's just there to take a little stroll.

"What's that supposed to mean? None of us have ever left the sea for longer than-"

"That's not what I meant." He gives Damon an eerie look, all too calm, all too triumphant. "The sneaky little fae was said to be pregnant when she left."

_~ No. No no no no no. That… ~_

They're not his thoughts, or words, or feelings. He has barely made the connection what his father could be on about, but Bonnie in his head has already put two and two together, and the result she got clearly doesn't please her. Her voice, her emotions in his head are growing stronger and stronger, almost overwhelming in their intensity.

_~ Bonnie. Easy. He's probably lying. Don't listen to- ~_

_~ No! ~_

"Oh, and since you're here," his father interrupts the turmoil in his mind with the same calm grin as before. "Your brother got himself in a bit of a tight spot with the fishermen. I was wondering whether you could try and get him back before they hang him up and filet him like the rest of the fish they caught today. - Of course that's only if your little hybrid 'guest' doesn't need all of your precious time."

He's not thinking now, just reacting. The words barely translate to anything that makes sense, but the anger comes on its own, and with ferociousness. In a split-second, he's at his father's throat, his fingers clamping into the soft skin of his neck with an unrelenting grip, but even now Guiseppe is still grinning.

"What did you do? - _What did you do_?!"

The man's hands are clutching his arms, but he's unable to say anything, and Damon is unable to let go. This man, his father… He doesn't know him.

"What the hell did you do? Where's Stefan? - Where is he?!"

_~ Damon. - Damon. Stop. You're killing him. Stop! He won't be able to tell you anything if you kill him now. ~_

He closes his eyes, scoffing to himself. Of course she'd be the voice of reason in his head now. This girl he doesn't even really know, this girl who is a faerie, who's found a way into his head when it shouldn't be possible. How can she be so strong already? Nothing makes sense anymore.

And Stefan is in danger.

_~ Exactly. So take a breath and try to help him. We need your father for that. ~_

Sighing, he stares hard at his father before him, the eyes that have begun to turn glassy, that grin still distorting the man's features. There's nothing in this face that he could love. Nothing. But Bonnie is right. He still needs this man.

Letting go eventually, he pushes Guiseppe away, glaring down at the man in front of him as he catches his breath.

"Tell me where he is. Now."

"Not so fast."

Damon rolls his eyes, gritting his teeth as his old man slowly gets back up.

"First, you'll have to give me Bonnie Bennett. And then I'll help you get your brother back."

"No."

"In that case, Stefan will probably be dead before the week is over. I hear there's a new research team over at the Oceanic Institute who are just itching to dissect something as curious and fascinating as one of us…"

"You wouldn't-"

"Oh, son. You and I both know that I most certainly would."

_~ It's okay, Damon, ~ _the voice inside his head says and he shakes his head.

_~ No. No, it's not. ~_

_~ I… we'll find a way. We'll… ~_

_~ No. ~_

Guiseppe can't have her. Ever.

But leaving his brother to be experimented on and die is also not an option.

_~ We'll find a way to save him. ~_

_~ I don't even know how to save _you_, Bonnie Bennett. And you don't know what it means to be a faerie yet. You don't know anything. How do you want to help me rescue my brother? - No. ~ _He scoffs, running a hand over the back of his neck as he takes a few steps away from his father, glaring at the man with unadulterated hatred.

"Fuck you," he says. "Fuck you." And he thinks, _~ We're so screwed. ~ _

_~ We will find a way. We will. ~_

She seems so weirdly sure he's almost inclined to believe her...


	11. Ripcurl

_Hello! I'm so sorry. Writing this is a struggle. I don't understand why it is so hard to write this story. This chapter is probably way sub-par and doesn't flow very well either, but I wanted to at least try and get something out there. If anyone is still interested..._

_I do have a question, too. Since I'm not sure how and when updates are going to come, I'm debating putting a kind of "idea sheet" or rough outline of things to come in a next chapter. I would probably just push that back with every new update. But maybe it would be nice to have that in case it takes me forever again to update._

_Let me know what you think._

_Thanks, as always, for reading._

_And stay safe out there._

_But now, this:_

* * *

…

**23 Years ago…**

The pull of the water is strong. It lies before her, so deceptively calm, and she hugs herself as she looks out on it, watching the smallest ripple wash ashore.

The ocean. It's so vast, so beautiful, and she doesn't understand why she can't go in like her friends.

"Come on, Abby!" one of them yells back now, giggling and laughing, and she waves a hand, shaking her head.

"You guys go."

"Aw, Abbs! It's really not that cold."

"My mom said-"

"Screw your mom! She's overly worried. You're almost 18, girl. You can make your own decisions. It's not gonna kill you to take a quick dip! Come on!"

It's battling inside of her. The urge to just go with them … Pressing her lips together, she stands and watches them walk closer toward the water, they're almost there, and then …

"Eeekh!"

They giggle, pull their feet away. They look so happy. She wants that too, but her mom said… With a sigh, Abby shakes her head. Sheila has always been so adamant about this. _Don't go near the water, child, _she'd say, over and over and over. _Stay away. It's dangerous. _And when she'd protest, when she'd say it's what everyone does, learning how to swim, playing in the water, her mother would get so awfully angry, so… changed, that she'd always back off. _People like us cannot, under any circumstances, go in the water! Understand that. You are not like the others, Abby Bennett. You stay away if you want to live._

"Water is waiting, Abbs!"

Her friends splash at her, racing in and out of the water now, always a little further, and their good mood begins to take hold of her, too. What if she puts her foot in there? Just the foot. She's not gonna drown with only her toes getting wet.

Sheila Bennett is just a bit peculiar with her fears. It's understandable. Her mother lost a brother to drowning when she was still little, that would traumatize anyone. But Sheila doesn't need to know about this …

So she finally bends down, pushing her pant-legs up a bit, then races toward her friends, joining in the fun.

It's minutes later, maybe half an hour, she isn't sure, but her clothes are soaked, enveloping her shivering body like a second skin, her cheeks glowing with a strange internal heat, and she laughs with her friends, enjoying herself, when she sees _him_.

She's not sure where he emerged from, but suddenly he is there, with a group of his own friends in tow, and they're coming over, all smiles and swagger, though she has only eyes for him - and he for her.

"Hello, love. I don't think I've seen you here before…"

Love? Who talks like that? Going by his accent, he must be British, or something. So the real question is, what is _he _doing here. Because, _she _lives here.

"Just a girls trip with my friends…" She waves a hand, coquettishly sweeping a strand of hair back as she bats her lashes at him. Part of her wants to cringe. She's not that kind of girl, so what the hell has gotten into her? But his eyes, his swagger, his stance, his whole … aura, get to her. It's like he's the ocean, pulling her in.

_Stay away from the water, child, _it echoes in her mind and she has to shake her head to get rid of that cautioning voice.

"And you?" she asks.

"Oh, I'm here every day. You could say I live here."

"Oh yuh? What, right here in the water?" She giggles, twirling her hair as she sees his eyes spark and twinkle, a ripple of goosebumps crossing her body as he holds her gaze.

He raises an eyebrow, winking.

"Would you believe it?"

"Sure. If you were a merman."

"Maybe I am …"

A loud laugh breaks out of her, deep, from the belly, and she sees his smirk widen in answer, before he suddenly holds out a hand for hers, doing a strangely old-fashioned bow.

"I'm Niklaus, by the way. And you are?"

"Abby," she says, sobering quickly, her breath hitching as he places a soft kiss a half inch away from the back of her hand. "Abby Bennett."

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Abby Bennett. I hope to see you again soon."

"That would be …" The words are trailing off her lips, then stopping. And as she blinks, suddenly feeling a bit dazed and … sleepy, his hand leaves hers and he's… gone.

* * *

...

* * *

…

**Now...**

Eyes closed, Damon listens into his mind, his inner senses growing more acute. He can smell the sea down here, the corals and wet limestone. He can hear the light rustle of his father's clothes as Guiseppe does his slow rounds in front of him, surely all boasting confidence and hubris.

_~ We'll find a way ~, _Bonnie reminds him again, a calm coming from her that finally seems to take root in him, too.

And suddenly, he has an idea.

_~ Thanks, BonBon ~, _he says, then, with a jolt, opens his eyes to face the king again.

"Fine," he says out loud, knowing that talking like regular people always irks his father a bit. To make sure his father believes him, a good dose of acting his necessary, and he slumps his shoulders, barely meeting the other man's gaze. Swallowing, he runs a hand over his face. "You win. I'll bring her over here now. But I'll only give her over to you in exchange for Stef."

Guiseppe's eyes light up, even though he still squints at his oldest son with a hint of suspicion. The old man has learned to be cautious around Damon after all these years.

_~ Alright. But you won't go alone, or you'll trick me. Conrad will accompany you. - And you'll have to bring both girls, because I don't trust you to clean up your own mess. ~_

"You need to promise not to kill them."

Scoffing, Guiseppe stares at him, something working behind his amused facade. Then he says, _~ As you wish. Now go. ~_

And Damon leaves without another word.

_~You don't believe him, do you? ~_

He has to smile at her presence in his mind, glad that his father can no longer see his face. Already, he's reached the small pool that connects the throne room with the ocean, and with a splash, he dives right in.

_~ Don't worry, Bon. I don't trust a word he says. Which is why I'm going to lead his men away from you as far as possible, while Enzo gets you girls up top again. ~ _

_~ What about your brother? ~_

He makes a face, aware now of dark shadowy figures coming toward him - his father's men, here to accompany him to Bonnie - or so they think... Waving at them, he points toward the east, then leads the way. He doesn't know where yet, just away.

_~ Don't worry, ~ _he tells her now. _~ I'll figure it out. ~_

Hopefully, it will be true...

* * *

...

Caroline is worried.

She's worried about being stuck in a cave under millions of gallons of water, about having no clue anymore what is real and what is not (_this freaking fairytale surely can't be her new reality_). She's worried about having lost the ground under her feet and the sky above. And she's worried about Bonnie, who just jumped up all of a sudden, her mood changed to something dark and foreboding out of the blue, and Caroline has no idea how she can help her poor friend.

It's not everyday you learn you're a fairy ...

"She's talking to him."

Whirling around at the soft voice against her ear, she jolts back out of her racing thoughts to face Enzo, who shoots her a knowing look.

"Quite impressive, actually," he continues, his arms crossed casually, his shoulders too broad as he leans away from her again. "Especially for a faerie."

She presses her lips together, trying to process his words, trying also to not let her annoyance with him show. His tone is so … flippant. He's way too calm and cool about this, and she just doesn't like it. Rolling her eyes to herself, she finally meets his gaze.

"What?" For the life of her, she can't seem to follow him, and that stupid half-smirk on his face doesn't help. Then he raises an eyebrow, inclining his head to take her in, and it makes the hairs on her arms stand on end.

"You do know that she is talking to him telepathically right now, don't you?"

"I …" What? "Of course I do." She shoots him her best offended "duh-look", then searches for Bonnie, finding her gesticulating as if she's deep in conversation. With a wry expression, Caroline bites down on the inside of her lip, annoyed with herself now, because Enzo picked up so easily what she didn't.

"It's okay, gorgeous. Threw me off at first too, the whole mind-acrobatics." His hands do a little whirl next to his temple as she peeks up at him from under her lashes. "You'll get used to it."

To her surprise, his expression seems genuinely understanding, without a trace of condescension, killing her half-prepared sassy retort before it can make its way out of her.

"Anyway." He takes a step forward until he's right in front of her, blocking her view of Bonnie, and she has to fight the urge to push him away.

What the hell is Bon talking about? Why does she seem so agitated. That can't mean anything good.

"Can you… do you know what they're talking about?"

His smirk is back, softening his harsh jawline.

"You're a nosy one, aren't you?"

"Excuse me? I'm just worried about my friend. Did you see how worked up she seems?"

He clicks his tongue, probably getting ready for another aloof remark, but she doesn't let him.

"Ever heard of friends being concerned for each other?" she asks. "Because that's what friends do. They worry about each other. But you," she pokes his chest, "might not know this, since you don't strike me as the type to even have many friends."

"Ouch." He grins, mock hurt written across his face. "Maybe you're right." He raises his arms half way, stepping away with too fluid movements, like he's swimming even on dry land. The bastard is too freaking smooth. "You got some fire in you, Caroline Forbes."

"I got- ?"

"But no. I don't know what they're talking about."

She forgets to be angry, forgets her cutting reply, merely sighing wearily, when he continues, "I do, however, know what Damon just told me. And if you're already in a tizzy over your little friend, you should get worried now."

"I'm not in a 'tizzy'! I'm-"

"Whatever you say, gorgeous. I'm just telling you that soon you'll have a real reason to be concerned because, turns out that getting you girls back to land won't be as easy as we hoped."

"Why? What are you really trying to say?"

Her mouth is too dry. She crosses her arms, staring hard at him.

"Just that I hope you enjoy it down here, because you'll probably have to stay a little longer than anticipated."

"What the hell does that even mean? Can you be a bit more specific instead of me having to draw everything out of you so painfully slowly?"

His chuckle makes her puff up her chest in anger, even though she knows it won't impress him much.

"What I'm saying, _Caroline_..." He says her name like a damn caress, like something someone else should say to her - in a completely different context. "... is that Damon ran into some trouble. His bloody father seems to think your friend Bonnie is special in more ways than one, and he's not going to give up on his claim on her so easily. So he got Damon's brother in trouble to draw us out, and I'm afraid this will change the plan."

Caroline's brain soaks up this new bit of information, Enzo's pointed stare underscoring something she is only slowly picking up on. Once she finally does, she gasps, looking from him to where Bonnie is still pacing, then back at Enzo.

"You're going to give us up!"

His mask slips into a scrunched up grin for a moment, he almost looks surprised before the half-smirk is back.

"I don't know, gorgeous. To be honest, Damon's father is the kind of person that shouldn't get what they want. Ever. On the other hand... if it's really going to be a decision between me or you, I'd be inclined to choose myself."

Caroline huffs, nostrils flaring as she takes a few steps back from him, scanning the cave to gauge the distance to her friend.

"You got us in this mess!" she throws at him, walking backwards as she does. "This is on you! So _you _will have to get us out of here and back! I don't care what the issue is with Damon's family, but Bonnie and I are getting out of here."

His lips are curled up into a real smile, almost as if to counteract her tone, and it only makes her angrier. The nerve this man has.

"I'm gonna get Bonnie, and then I don't care how you do it, but you'll get us both out of this damn cave and back to the top."

"I will do no such thing. Certainly not before Damon isn't back."

"You can't do anything without your precious friend? Need to ask him for permission first? What are you? His lap dog?"

He's before her in the blink of an eye, grabbing her arm hard to pull her even closer, shuttered stare boring into her as she tries to wiggle away. The smile is wiped off his face, making room for something… feral, and she freezes.

"Let go."

The dark flicker in his eyes is increased by the reflections of the blue light of the bioluminescence coming from above as he traps her gaze with his, and she fidgets under his scrutiny, trying her best to raise her chin and not back down.

"I said, let go."

The corners of his mouth briefly curl up. She's ready to get angry, anticipating another snarky remark from him, when his expression suddenly changes, almost as if he turns his focus… inward.

Maybe he is talking telepathically, like Bonnie. There's something about the way they both stare into nothing that is oddly similar.

Caroline frowns, half-forgetting the uncomfortable clamp of his fingers around her arm, when he abruptly unfreezes and lets go. He seems to be battling with himself for a moment before he rolls his eyes to himself, then shoots her one last look and turns away.

"Get ready," he mumbles. "We're leaving in five minutes."

"What?!"

* * *

…

It takes a moment for it all to sink in, the things Damon's father said, but when Bonnie is just about to think she's calm enough to function, to talk to Caroline about what is going to happen next, it hits her.

What Guiseppe insinuated about her mother - about _her._

_~ It can't be true. It… just can't..._

Bonnie is trying to comprehend the news, and failing. Minutes ago, she was so strong, trying to convince Damon that they'd get Stefan out of harm's way, that they'd be able to stand up to Guiseppe. But now this darkness is taking over, confusion digging into her until there's a rift threatening to tear her apart.

_~ It can't be true… I know my dad. He's… he's just a normal man, I'm not the child of a- ~_

_~ Bonnie, hey….~_

Damon is back, his tone soothing and calm, but still she can't seem to focus. He's on his way to get his dad off her back so she can leave the water for the safety of the land, but… Nothing seems safe anymore. She doesn't even know who she is - _what _she is.

_~ Easy now. The old man is probably lying to draw you out, and it's working. ~_

_~ What if he's right?! He pretty much insinuated that I'm half mermaid - or whatever the hell you people call yourselves, and… this is all so ridiculous! ~_

_~ Of the sea. ~_

_~ Huh?! ~_

_~ What we call ourselves: "of the sea". - BonBon, you might just be the first faerie of the sea anyone has ever heard of... ~_

She feels his amusement, a wave of annoyance emanating from her, and while he seems to pick up on it, she can almost see his smile widen.

_~ Seriously, though. BonBon, don't worry. I have a plan now. - I'll have Enzo get you and Blondie back topside, like I said, and I- ~_

_~ Your father- ~_

_~ Screw my father. He thinks he has me in his hands with his threats. But you were right. He doesn't. ~_

_~ What about your brother? ~_

She can almost see him scoff, can almost feel the air caress her cheek, see the gleam in his eyes.

_~ Stefan can take care of himself. But just to make sure, I'll get on my way to find him soon - while you, Ms. Bennett, will be going back to your folks. They'll be able to protect you. ~_

_~ Damon. ~_

_~ I'm not gonna let him use this. Something tells me that if he's this desperate to get to you, it's better to keep you very far away from him. ~_

_~ He'll know you're not doing as you were told. ~_

_~ Of course he will. But by then you'll already safely be back to land. - Enzo? ~_

She can't hear the other one, can't follow this side-conversation of theirs, but when she turns her head, she can see the merprince's friend standing right next to Caroline, his eyes staring off, like he's hearing someone speak - and going by Caroline's face, with her lips pressed together into a very thin and unhappy line, it's not her he's listening to. He's talking to Damon.

_~ Alright. Chatted with my sailor friend. He will get you back up. It'll be your job to tell your dear Grams to be there for when he does. To protect you. And be ready for my father's guards. ~_

_~ Damon, I really don't think- ~_

_~ Crap. I gotta go. Bonnie? ~_

_~ I'd rather wait with all this until you're back here. We can discuss it then. We can come up with a way to get your brother, too. ~_

_~ Aw. You're worried about me! ~_

_~ I'm… not. ~_

_~ That's sweet. I'll be fine, though. But if you wait, chances are _you _won't be. You need to get the hell out of there and back to your folks. I'll find you, Bonnie Bennett. When this is done. ~_

_~ Damon. - Damon! ~_

There's a sudden emptiness in her head and she hits the warm rocky wall beside her with her flat hand. "Dammit!"

Why does she even care? He's a stranger, she doesn't know him, and yet…

He feels like he belongs, and now that he's gone again - her mind conjuring up that image of him being pulled away, bubbles coming out of his mouth as he yells soundlessly - she doesn't know what to think about that.

* * *

…

His hands are tied up tight. Grunting, Stefan is trying to wiggle free, but it's hopeless. The rope won't budge. The fishermen got him good. Closing his eyes, he allows himself to just give in for a moment, hanging off his binds, trying to think.

His father did this, he knows it. The question is, why? What could he gain from betraying his own flesh and blood like that? The fishermen turning against them is not in their interest at all. It'll have to be something to do with ...

Damon.

_~ On my way, brother. ~_

_~ What is going on? It's the girl, isn't it? ~_

He can feel Damon's reluctant admittance.

_~ What are you not telling me? It must be bad if father is trying to lure you out by using me in this way… ~_

_~ Bonnie is fae, Stefan. ~_

What?! Abruptly, he feels alert again, his body tensing up. Curling his hands into fists, he stands up again as best as he can - which still means tiptoes, then he strains against the rope, ready again to fight.

_~ We have to make sure he doesn't get her… ~_

Damon doesn't even know how true that is, does he?

_~ You better get her out of the sea then. I'll find my own way back. ~_

_~ And how are you gonna do that, huh? Brother? ~_

That's a good question, of course. And one he doesn't have an answer for just yet.


	12. Sail

_It's been too long, I know. Anyone still reading? Anyways. I'm pretty sure I'll have another chapter for this ready in a few days. But I can't and shouldn't make any promises …_

_If you are here and still reading, please shoot me a line or so of feedback if you can._

_This one is for EvaMedina and the Guest on my most recent Bonenzo fic who actually asked about an update. Words can make a difference! Thanks you guys!_

_And thanks, as always, for reading._

* * *

…

They wait until nightfall so the fae folk can make it to the designated meeting spot in time - and to be a little safer. But Enzo still doesn't have a very good feeling about any of it. Damon isn't back, won't be back for a while. And the girls …

Closing his eyes briefly, he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he wipes a hand over his face before bracing himself for this next step. He'll have to bring them both up and out of the water, while Damon is luring Guiseppe away.

"Alright," he says, clapping his hands. "Who's first?"

"Bonnie." - "Caroline, of course. She needs to get to safety."

The girls speak simultaneously. He rolls his eyes. It would have been too easy if they had agreed … Fine, he'll make the decision for them.

"The fae first, then."

"No! - You need to take Caroline up. She can't breathe underwater. She's got nothing to do with any of this." He's almost inclined to smile at the faerie's loyalty to her friend. She's quite cute with her hands pushed against her hips and a pout on her face. But he's too annoyed by the whole bloody mess, so he swaggers over to Bonnie until he's not an inch away and faces her scowl with one of his own.

"You first. Guiseppe wants _you _after all. So we better make sure you get to safety. Then you can tell your faerie friends to keep their filthy little fingers off of me if you want to see dear Caroline again."

The blonde huffs somewhere to his side. He can tell Bonnie wants to say something snarky in reply, but for some reason she lets it go. Following a deep sigh, she hangs her head.

"He's right, Bonnie," the gorgeous one pipes up. "You need to get out of the water before his people can get you. I'm - apparently the only - mere human down here, so no one cares whether or when I'll make it back up."

"That's not true, Caroline. _I _care. You're my best friend, and I got you into this mess, I …"

"It's not your mess, Bonnie. You didn't even know about your weird mythical background before all this. If anything, these friggin mermen are to blame."

Enzo has to fight the urge to roll his eyes again.

"Aren't you two adorable?" he says as they fall into each other's arms like two long-lost lovers, and after exchanging a few sobbed exclamations of eternal friendship or girl power forever or whatever the bloody hell else they're talking about, Enzo has had enough and grabs the faerie's arm again.

"You ready?"

"Easy." She pulls at her arm, but he doesn't let go.

"Move."

"Let me talk to Damon-"

"Damon isn't here, alright? But he gave me pretty clear orders, and I intend to follow them. So let's go."

He doesn't wait for her reply, just lifts her off her feet, and without another warning, races to the water and dives in, his grip on her tight as he hears Gorgeous yelling behind them.

"Keep her safe!"

That's the plan …

There better be faeries waiting up there for them. (He never thought he'd ever say that.)

* * *

…

Damon's been swimming for what feels like hours but can't have been much more than maybe 30-40 minutes. But he's been able to lead his father's men into the opposite direction of where Enzo should be busy getting the girls to safety.

Any moment now, though, Conrad will get suspicious of him. He can already feel a tension emanating from the man which will soon erupt, he knows it.

By then, they need to be as far away as possible, so he-

_~ Where the hell are you taking us? ~_

Damon grimaces at hearing Conrad. Well, that didn't take long …

_~ Enzo, I hope you're almost done. Things are about to turn south over here ~_, he tries communicating, but for some reason, he can't seem to be able to channel his friend. Crap.

_~ A little trust, Conrad. ~_ He turns around to give the man and his comrades a winning smile. But they're on to him now, their faces gleaming dark in the midnight sea. Too fast, they're rushing toward him, a stream of bubbles erupting around them, and before he can think another coherent thought or try and contact Bonnie, hands clutch his limbs, his arms, his legs, his middle, and Conrad's face appears before him.

_~ Talk, boy. Where are the girls? ~_

_~ Um … Not here? ~ _His beaming grin doesn't last for long.

Did he win them enough time?

* * *

…

Stefan is tearing at his chains like a madman, his wrists now raw and bleeding. If their father finds out what Damon is up to, neither of them are safe anymore. None of them.

He needs to free himself and come to Damon's aid. His brother will need all the help he can get - as usual. But how if the stupid chains won't budge?

"Well, well," a cold voice calls out, and Stefan lifts his head, stopping his movements as he listens into the dark. "I've always wanted a chance to examine one of you, to prove to the world that the myths are, indeed, true."

A too tall woman appears before him, her face pale, her hair a soft shade of red. Her voice sounds like she's not from here - not that it matters. Ireland perhaps, England.

She comes so close that he can see her bluish eyes gleaming even in the dark. Her hand comes up to caress his cheek, and he flinches away, making her chuckle.

"No need for that, dear. I won't hurt you. Not tonight. I want to study you a bit first."

She's barely finished her sentence when hands come up to grab him, seemingly from everywhere, and as he writhes in their grip, trying to break free, her voice follows him along.

"We've built a pool for you - or an aquarium, if you will. You're free to do as you please in there."

"Let me go."

"I can't, dear. Your father and I made a deal, and I intend to, well, honor it."

"You don't need to do that. He won't honor the deal, either. He-"

"His loss. I'll still get to study you, and then - when I've finished a little bit of … testing, I'll get to exhibit you."

Exhibit …

Stefan yanks at the people carrying him off, suddenly feeling way less confident about being able to escape. This is not looking too great, is it?

_~ Damon, can you hear me? ~_

But it seems he's out of luck.

Crap.

* * *

…

The whoosh of bubbles accompanying Bonnie up prickles against her skin, and she tries not to gasp. Anticipation is rising in her with every foot she's getting closer to the surface.

Will her Grams really be waiting up there? On a boat? With faerie folk?

Days ago, her life was nothing special, and now, here, she's finding herself in this weird unreal-seeming tale. As Enzo keeps guiding her up up up, making sure she doesn't go too fast and doesn't lose her breath, she sees the moon's silhouette appear above her, its ivory disk growing larger and larger, until …

… she breaks through the surface, gulping in air, trying to gain her bearings and finding … a large ship before her, its sails looming into the night sky, a view from days gone by.

_~ What the hell … ~_

_~ Bonnie, you safe? Bonnie! ~_

He's in her head again, Damon. But so briefly she can't quite grasp it, can't reply before he slips away again, leaving her feeling colder, and worried. Something isn't right.

"I think he's in trouble," she says, bobbing on the surface as Enzo pulls her with him. As if she's forgotten how to swim, she lets him drag her along like that for a while, until they're so close to the ship that she can see people standing up top. Way too many strange faces, and among them, Grams.

_~ Babygirl, get ready to be pulled up! You're safe now, child. - Just stay away from the one of the sea! ~_

Grams tone makes goosebumps break out on her skin. Shooting a covert glance at Enzo, she channels her thoughts as best as she can, still surprised at how second nature it's already become to talk telepathically.

_~ He'll have to go back down to get Caroline. You're not gonna harm him, are you? Grams? ~_

She's not sure she's just imagining it or not, but she can feel a too long pause, silence spreading before Grams replies, her tone sounding almost too reassuring.

_~ Let him go back down and get her, then. ~ _

Before she has a chance to process the words, read between the lines, Enzo tugs at her and jerks his chin up. When she follows the motion, she sees a rope being lowered, hands holding onto it up high.

"Your way home, fae," he says and lets go. "Once you're up there, I'll get your friend."

"Thanks," she says, the word tasting salty like the sea. "Please make sure she gets here safely."

"I need to see you climb up now, love. Or Damon will have my head later."

"Have you heard from him by any chance?" she can't help but ask, a weird anxiousness having her heart in its grip, and it beats against her chest like it wants out when he shakes his head.

"Don't worry, love. He'll be fine. He's always fine."

With that he motions for her to go again, and this time, she does, swimming away from him and toward the rope until she can grab on. It's rough against her palms, and she's not sure she can make it all the way up. But then someone starts pulling, and she doesn't have to climb anymore, just hold on until she's all the way up - and he's all the way down - and then … she feels the ship's floor against her feet, and her Grams' arms coming around her, holding her.

"You're safe now, Bonnie."

Yet somehow, she doesn't feel like she is.

_~ Damon, please, are you okay? ~_

* * *

…

He can hear her as if she's far away - which, he realizes, she is of course. Or should be. But he can't give her an answer. Guiseppe has seen to it that he can't use his telepathic powers for a while.

Too aware of the spot behind his ear where his father burnt him with a jellyfish until the skin started peeling away, he grimaces, his breath hitching at the searing stinging pain that keeps him from being able to focus.

If only that was all, though.

He sighs, the sound too weary to his own ears. But what else is there to do when his wrists are strapped to the rocky ceiling of a cave, the skin chafing away, the soles of his feet burnt away by that very same poisonous jellyfish, and the ocean is too far to reach. It's agony, knowing that his father will see to it that he won't get to the water for a while. He's not sure how long he can withstand the pain and hopelessness. Already, his vision is growing hazy at the edges, his conscience flitting away.

No straining against the binds which keep his arms tied to the rock is helping. He's trapped, and his strength is dwindling too fast. But before it's gone completely, his old man's face appears in front of him, too close to his. A nasty grin on his face, Guiseppe cocks his head to take him in.

_~ Let this be a lesson to you, son ~, _he says, cold and harsh, and Damon is trying to focus on his father's lips so he won't have to see the disgust in his eyes. _~ Leave him here - until he tells us where to find the girls. ~_

Damon's stomach turns as the pain keeps boiling up in his body. He has to close his eyes and allow it in, because he can't escape it anymore.

At least Bonnie is safe. If nothing else, his father's words have confirmed that much.

* * *

…

Caroline's been pacing the bluish gleaming cave ever since Bonnie and Enzo left, starting to entertain the thought that something happened and she'll never get out of the place alive.

But then, when she's about ready to slump in on herself and eat one last too-dry granola bar, she hears a splashing noise. She scans the cave, and there he is, dripping wet in his old fashioned white shirt and dark pants, giving off _Pride and Prejudice_ vibes as he comes swaggering toward her, calling her name with that English accent of his.

She has to clutch the rocky wall behind her for support and shake her head to clear it of those images.

He's not Colin Firth, and she isn't-

"Come on, Gorgeous, let's hurry up."

Before she has a chance to protest or ask whether everything went okay with Bonnie, he clasps his hand - as cool as the sea - around her wrist and pulls her with him.

Oh gosh, this is happening, isn't it? She'll have to get in the water again and then … He'll have to breathe for her again, he'll …

The thought makes shivers rake her frame, and she bites her lip as she catches herself shooting a glance at his mouth.

She needs to pull herself together before he pushes her into the water and she's left to just … trust him.

"Enzo, I … can, can we stop for a second? Is Bonnie-"

"She's fine. Her fancy ship is waiting for you. So let's get this over with and you and I can say goodbye forever, too. Sound good?"

"Uh-"

"Great, so let's go."

She finds herself following along as if remote controlled, slipping a couple of times as he rushes toward the entrance to the cave. Without stopping, Enzo dives in, his hand still around her wrist, holding her in a tight grip that now feels oddly reassuring. She's not alone, he's with her, and he won't let go.

He won't, right?

The water is warm at first, almost too warm, and certainly too dark. It's like a tomb that makes her insides turn to jelly. Panic rises up in her like the bubbles around her, and she opens her mouth to yell, only for her to look right into his dark eyes, to feel his lips on hers, to feel him breathe for her.

It's still the most peculiar sensation.

Clutching at his shoulders, she half fights him off, half keeps him close, his gaze never leaving hers.

The way up takes forever and still not long enough, because suddenly - strangely - she's not ready to say goodbye, to have this fairy tale end - or at least, her part in it. But sidekicks don't make the story, right? And she can't be the main character in this story, not when she's human, and … too ordinary.

She's cold now, way too cold, and when her head finally emerges out of the water, the night air envelops her with a strange warmth, and calm.

Gasping, she whirls this way and that, taking in the large ship before her as she keeps bobbing in the waves. She can't help but stare, open-mouthed, until she grows aware of the fact that she's still clinging to Enzo, who shoots her a curious frown.

"I'm sorry, it's just … That thing is so … big and …"

"Time to say goodbye, Gorgeous."

"You can't leave me like that. What if they don't get me out of the water in time."

"In time for what, huh?" His smile is all teeth in the dim moonlight, but his expression seems to soften from one second to the next. "You'll be fine, love," he says, his eyes wandering away from her and up to where they can now see people peering into the depth. "And I really gotta go."

"Enzo," she starts and never finishes, because suddenly, all hell breaks loose around them. Something pierces the water right next to her, and she watches Enzo's eyes grow wide before he vanishes into the depth without another word.

Voices yell down from above, telling her to grab the rope, grab the rope, but also, "We can't let him escape!"

A pit opens in Caroline's stomach, her gaze finding Bonnie's up top as she does grab the rope and hangs on as she's being pulled up.

* * *

…

Bonnie is furious. One second she was clutching the railing, staring down into the water, relieved to see Caroline's blond head emerge, the next she's rushing to her Grams, pulling the old woman by the arm as wind whips the sails above them, picking up by the second.

"What the hell's going on, Grams?!" she yells over the noise.

"Bonnie, there's no time for this right now."

"For what? What the hell is going on? Your people are shooting harpoons into the water, did I see that right?"

"Child, you're so very new to this life. But I've lived it for decades, and I can tell you what we're doing is for yours and our protection. We cannot - under any circumstances - let one of the sea get away."

"What?! That's … he's helped bring me back, Grams! He brought Caroline back! You can't kill him for that."

Sheila's expression softens. Grabbing Bonnie's hands in hers, she shakes her head.

"Go help your friend over to one of the cabins, babygirl. This does not concern you anymore. You're safe. That's all that matters."

Bonnie's throat closes. Finding out she's a faerie was one thing, but finding herself in the middle of some age-old war she doesn't understand, is mind-boggling, and terrifying.

"This does concern me! He's Damon's friend! Both of them just risked a lot to get us back to safety!"

"And I appreciate that, more than you will ever know. But if we want it to stay that way, we have to take out their king, and this one is our way to get to him …"

Sheila's voice fades to the background as Bonnie follows her gaze, watching as Caroline is being hauled into the boat, soaking wet and heaving - and, after her: Enzo, a harpoon stuck in his shoulder, rope coiled around him as the faerie folk begin surrounding him.

Caroline is wailing, trying to push her way through.

"Don't hurt him," she sobs. "Please! - Bonnie, help me …"

Fury bursting out of her, Bonnie lunges forward, away from her Grams and toward her friend. She needs to help them, both of them, she-

As she can reach the ball of people that has built up around Enzo, around Caroline, too, a weird deafening alarm sound goes off in her head. Knees buckling under her, she slumps down, pressing her hands against her ears.

"What …"

She tries to fight it, but can't. Looking up as best as she can, she tries to see whether anyone else is affected, but only Enzo in his coil of ropes and captors seems to be in agony, and she can't be sure it's not from that weapon stuck in him.

_~ What is this ~, _she asks anyone and no one, her equilibrium wavering, her ears ringing with the awful sound. Then, when she doesn't think she'll get an answer, when she starts believing she'll have to deal with this forever, the sound stops.

"What was that?" she asks out loud, trying to regain her bearings. Grams is beside her, helping her up. A look of true concern tells Bonnie that the old woman has no clue what just happened. "Did you not hear that?"

"What, babygirl?"

But Bonnie doesn't have time to explain. Pulling away from her Grams, she stalks over to where Enzo is now being lifted to his feet, a shaking Caroline trying to get between him and his captors.

"Bonnie, you gotta do something. This isn't right. He helped us. He helped us!"

"I know," she says, too weak, too weary. "I know Care. We'll figure this out." She turns to Grams, who she can hear following along behind her . "Let him go."

"I can't. I won't."

"I gave him my word."

"It wasn't yours to give, child." Sheila's tone is soft and compassionate. A note of sadness makes Bonnie's heart ache.

"Grams!"

"Enough of this." The old woman waves her off, then approaches Enzo, scrutinizing him. "Chain him to the mast for now," she orders, making him snarl at her as he strains against those holding him.

"You can't keep me, fae."

"Watch me."

"Bonnie." He grits her name out in a mix of desperation and anger, and she's surprised he's not more livid. There's something in his tone that makes her chest grow too tight.

"That sound," she says, pushing her way through until she stands right before him. "You heard it too."

Hands grab her, pull her away. She wants to shake them off and can't. She's trapped, trapped by her own people - people she doesn't even know! - and how ridiculous is that? This whole nonsense needs to stop.

_~ It's Damon. He's in trouble. ~_

She's never heard Enzo in her mind before and it feels … odd. Not like Damon, not like Grams, but foreign.

_~ You're in trouble, too. I'm so sorry, I didn't know this was gonna happen. I'll- ~_

_~ No. Listen to me. I can't help him, not now. So you'll need to do it. ~_

_~ But- ~_

_~ That sound? It means he's _dying_. It means he has no other way of reaching us anymore. ~_

His father must have found out Damon was tricking him, to save her …

Gasping, she tries again to get to Enzo, to try and free him.

"Let me go! - Let _him_ go. Grams!"

But all her fighting, all her yelling doesn't do anything. It only hardens the grip on her arms, makes the pulling increase until she's whisked away, away, away.

She can't see Caroline, or Enzo. She can't even see her Grams.

"Let me go!"

Everything is a blur, and she pulls and pulls and tears her arms until finally she's free.

_~ Don't screw this up, too, fae. Help him, or I'll- ~_

Enzo's voice breaks off too abruptly.

Damon is dying.

Oh no ...


	13. Keelhauling

_A few words first:_

_A big THANK YOU for reading. I'm glad I get to share my writing, and I'm especially grateful for the feedback I'm getting. Thanks here, too, to my "anonymous" reviewers "BC" and the "Guest."_

_A quick reminder, since it seems like I need to say this again:_

_I know it's been forever between the last update and the one before, but I've been quite clear about this from the moment I started struggling with this story: __**I can't guarantee speedy updates for this one, or even a proper ending.**_

_It is your very personal decision whether you want to put up with this or not. Please do not tell me my story is a disappointment. I get it. It IS disappointing when you have to wait for something, especially when you're invested in it. (Hey, I'm trying to find time to watch the last two episodes of "Outer Banks" right now, but too much has been going on and I chose to write instead.)_

_Saying my chapter is too short - well, again, I get it. But the last chapter was almost 4,000 words long. That's not overly short._

_And a word about cliffhangers: I understand that not everyone is a fan of them. They can be frustrating. But. While I love sharing this with you, and I truly am craving the feedback and would love to hear your thoughts, let's be honest. Usually, I get a handful of reviews - if I'm lucky. That's not always enough to keep me wanting to write - UNLESS I also have an intrinsic interest in writing my story. And, well, I'm an explorative writer, meaning, I know as much or as little about the story as you do. I explore it as I sit down and write. And my incentive to write is simply greater when the end of a chapter isn't all clear cut. _

_That being said, I tried really hard to make this new chapter longer for you, and toned down the cliffhangers. (I think it worked, but I'll let you all be the judges of that.)_

_I've debated a ton over what to say to the criticism of this being "too damn short" for how long it's taken me to update, and it all being "greatly disappointing." And I guess this is it._

_Criticism, I can take. But make it constructive. Tell me where I need to do better. What I can do better, give me suggestions on the "how." Telling me this is disappointing, well, is simply incredibly disappointing and doesn't aid in helping me with writing motivation._

_Soliloquy end._

_On to why you're really here - if you're here. :)_

* * *

…

**Decades ago …**

Saving that beautiful creature hasn't done him any good.

Enzo closes his eyes, bracing himself as best as he can. He can't quite block out the snarling voices of the angry captain and his leering, cheering shipmates, but at least he doesn't have to see their faces now.

"Anything you have to say in your defense, sailor? Why did you cut that mermaid out of the net? Why did you let her go?"

The Captain's voice can't veil the anger burning in him. He had plans for the creature, plans involving unspeakable actions.

Enzo had different plans. He's not going to beg now. In fact, he's not going to say anything. Shoulders squared, he raises his chin and waits for the inevitable.

Keelhauling, the worst punishment for a sailor like him. He can't say he's ready, but that won't stop them.

And it doesn't.

"As you wish," the Captain bites out, then hollers, "haul him!"

There's a moment where he can feel the rope tied around his wrists tug at him, an abrupt and searing movement, but nothing compared to what is to come. Then, seconds later, he splashes into the freezing cold water, and reflexively takes a last deep breath before it goes down and down, under the ship's hull and …

His body screams as the barnacles tear into his skin, plowing craters into his back, his arms, his legs. When he emerges again, the cool night air almost a soothing caress against his raw skin, the crew up top is cheering.

"Again!" they yell. "Again."

He's going to die out here tonight, isn't he? If only it'd go a little quicker. Because this is agony. But they have no mercy. Again and again they haul him under the ship's keel, until finally, eventually …

_~ I got you. ~_

He blinks, not sure his vision isn't betraying him when he sees her, the woman they caught in their net just a few days ago. The woman he cut free and helped escape back into the depth of the ocean. Is she really here?

His every nerve end is screaming, his consciousness still hanging on for a little while longer, until he can't withstand the pain anymore, can't hang on, can't function, and he lets go.

_~ I got you, sailor. I got you. You'll be okay … ~_

But he wouldn't be. Not really. Not ever again.

* * *

…

**Now**

With a splash, Bonnie lands in the water again, hearing Grams yell down to her. But the old woman's voice sounds muffled, barely intelligible over the loud noises of the wind and the sails and the waves.

"I'm so sorry, Care," she mutters as she catches a glimpse of her best friend, who is clutching the rails, desperation arching her eyebrows into a mound.

"Bonnie!"

She can only hope her expression can translate what she feels and thinks, that Caroline understands. She has to go and find Damon. There's no way for her to explain why she has such a strong urge to look for him. She barely even knows him. She didn't know him just a few days ago. But now …

He's dying, Enzo said. And she can't sit idly by and let it happen. He got himself in trouble in order to protect her after all. But where should she go? Where to start looking for him when she has no idea where he went off to?

What a stupid, stupid idea, just jumping in like that.

_~ Enzo ~, _she tries calling out to the one other mer-person she knows. _~ What do I do? ~_

But there's no answer, and she realizes for the first time that she doesn't know how to channel her thoughts. With Damon and Grams, it kind of just "happened." They were probably the ones initiating the communications, and she merely replied. But now … There's nothing.

_~ What do you think you're doing, Bonnie Sheila Bennett? ~_

Well, except for her grandma …

_~ I need to do this, Grams. ~_

_~ We're at war, child. How difficult is that to understand? ~_

_~ I don't know anything about this stupid war! A few days ago I didn't even know sea people and faeries were real! ~_

_~ Bonnie … ~_

_~ No. ~ _

She keeps swimming, and swimming, with wide strokes making her way away from the ship as fast as she possibly can. At least she knows one thing. They won't shoot at _her_ with harpoons.

_~ Come back right now! ~_

_~ I can't, Grams. I can't. Please, take care of Caroline for me. And don't let them hurt Enzo even more. He helped us. ~_

She closes her eyes briefly, feeling like she's betraying them both, her best friend and this stranger who so reluctantly agreed to help her. And why is she doing it? Why can't she let it go? Deep down she has a feeling Damon will be furious if he finds out she is still out here, swimming toward him.

If he doesn't die first, that is.

She has to find him. Somehow.

* * *

…

* * *

...

This too dark, too cold cave better not be his grave. Damon's insides churn at the thought, but he's too exhausted now to fight much anymore. He's been out of the water for over 48 hours, and with every minute passing, more life seems to be seeping out of him.

With no way to free himself, no way to call for help, he's started giving up hope, and _that _really isn't much like him.

The withdrawal must be getting to him. Being without the ocean …

If only he knew for certain that Bonnie is okay. She has to be. Or all this was for nothing. Stefan is out there, too, imprisoned, and Damon has no way of helping him.

His chin is almost resting on his chest, his neck refusing to carry his head upright. His wrists are on fire, his feet too, and there's no way-

_~ Damon. ~_

He perks up the slightest bit, confused to hear a voice inside his head. It shouldn't be possible, not with the damage his dad has done to his telepathic center. And yet.

_~ Damon, can you hear me? I'm coming for you. But I don't know where to look for you. I don't know what to do … ~_

Bonnie? Raising his head, he squints into the dark, half-expecting her to come out of the shadows, but when he sees something move, it's only one of the guards. The man glowers at him briefly, then - when Damon manages a cocky smirk in reply - he turns away, ignoring him again. They all know he's not going to talk. Guiseppe might as well end him already. But Damon's dear father, king of the sea, is no fan of the easy way out. He likes to see people suffer, especially his sons.

Pressing his lips together, Damon lets himself sink into his binds again, not even caring how they tear into his skin. It's so raw already that it doesn't make much of a difference.

_~ You're not allowed to give up! I'm coming for you! Just try to give me a clue where you are. I heard your signal earlier. Can … can you use that again? If you can't talk, maybe I can locate you through that. ~_

Signal? Huh. He must be worse off than he thought. Because those of the sea only send out one signal: a sound to alert those closest to them of their imminent death.

Good times.

But wait. If Bonnie is coming for him …

Silly silly fae. She didn't get on that ship, did he? She's still out here, in the water. Closing his eyes, he grimaces, then forces himself to pull it together. He can't give up. Not when she still needs him.

Listening into his mind, he tries to channel that signal, wondering whether there is a way for him to actively bring it about. He'll have to find a way.

* * *

…

Stefan is growing stir-crazy. Admittedly, the tank they keep him in is nice and large and he even has a small little corner where he can occasionally hide for a few minutes here and there. But he's still trapped, and the tests they like to subject him to are anything but fun. He's exhausted, and tired, and tranquilized.

That needs to stop. The distress signal he heard - however many hours or days ago, he doesn't know - can only mean one thing. Their father got to Damon. Because the idiot decided to befriend a faerie. And now … they're both paying for it. He should be angry, but he can't be. Damon always does this to him, get under his skin, and yet, he can't but love the idiot, and worry about him.

He has to get out of his wet prison. But how?

"Lovely day, isn't it?"

The red-head is back, and he grimaces when she taps against the glass wall of the tank like it's some giant goldfish glass - and he, the goldfish.

"Let me go," is all he says, poking his head above water so she'll understand.

"Can't, dear. I'm not done with you at all. Remember, we got plans together."

"Your plans. Not mine. Let me out."

"Shushushush. Don't be like that. Our partnership has only just begun. Your father promised-"

"You do know that Guiseppe Salvatore isn't known for keeping his promises, right? Whatever he offered you, he's not gonna keep his word. If you let me go, however …"

"What? _You _will keep your word? I thought you didn't like it here." She clicks her tongue and beams at him, and he can't but roll his eyes.

"There's gotta be something other than me staying here that you'd want."

Her grin widens even more.

"Let me think about it," she says, then taps the glass again and turns on her heels, the click-clack of her ridiculously high heels fading away until he is all alone again.

With a sigh, he pushes himself off the wall and swims back into the middle of the tank, doing the one thing he can: swim lap after lap after lap.

* * *

…

Caroline sits slumped in a chair in the small cabin they allotted her and sobs into her arms.

Nothing is right anymore. Bonnie left. Without warning her, she just left. And now Caroline is left with these … these faeries that she doesn't know and doesn't understand, and the only two people she does know - Bonnie's Grams and Enzo - are mortal enemies.

"Hey sweetie …"

Hearing Grams, she closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself. Not so easy when the woman she always saw as a surrogate grandma now turns out to have such a dark side.

So dark.

"Come on, Caroline. You need to eat something. It doesn't help anyone if you let yourself go like that."

The old lady enters her cabin after a small knock, not waiting for Caroline to say, "Come in." She must have learned during the last few days that Caroline never says those two words. She's too upset. And angry.

Sheila comes in with a smile and a bowl of steaming soup. She sits down opposite Caroline and hands her a spoon.

"Eat, child."

"Not hungry."

"You've barely eaten anything."

"I'll eat when you let Enzo go - and me. I want off this ship."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"My mom will come look-"

"I compelled her to believe you're on a little retreat with Bonnie and me." Grams shrugs, an apologetic grin on her face. Caroline has to press her lips together so as not to start crying anew. "Now eat."

"I wanna see Enzo."

"Eat."

"If you don't let me see him …"

"Fine." Sheila sighs, shaking her head. Then she gets up, holding out her hand. "You get five minutes. But then you'll eat, and rest. Otherwise Bonnie will be furious with us both."

Caroline scoffs. While she's still a little mad at her best friend, she's kind of glad Bonnie isn't here now. It means her best friend is doing the right thing. She's not suddenly a weird dark version of a cute fairy tale creature. She's not like her Grams. She's still Bonnie, looking out for those in need.

With a wary look up at one of those dark faeries, Caroline reluctantly takes Grams' hand, and lets the old woman guide her out of the cabin and across the large ship.

She takes a deep breath, the salty air waking up her fighting spirit a little again. She hasn't seen Enzo since they captured him, and now she's a little nervous. Will he be angry with her? Will he be okay? Last time she saw him, he had a harpoon sticking out of his back …

Grimacing, she follows Sheila further along, marveling at the sea surrounding her. A gasp escapes her when she realizes that she can't see land anymore.

"Where the hell are we?"

"None of your concern, child. I'm sorry I have to be so secretive. It's only until this is over."

"This? What _is _this exactly? Please enlighten me."

But she never gets an answer, because right then, they reach a dark door and walk through, down into the depth of the boat. It's almost black down there, and Caroline has to squint to see anything. They keep walking for a little while longer - until they reach a metal door.

"In here," Sheila says. "I'll give you your five minutes with him, but don't get too close. He's dangerous. And he won't be kind to those who captured him."

"I didn't do that! _You_ did!"

Sheila looks at her with an almost sad expression. Then she opens the door and nudges Caroline until she manages to force herself to move again.

With a few wary steps, she trudges forward, her breath hitching when she sees Enzo standing in the middle, his arms strapped up to the ceiling above him, his legs chained to the floor, his body writing an X into the otherwise empty room. When she inches closer to him, arm outstretched as if part of her is debating whether she can touch him, he stirs, and she backs away.

"Enzo?" Her voice is too damn shaky.

He lifts his head, just a bit, but it's enough for her to see a flicker cross his eyes as his gaze hefts itself onto her.

"Are they …" _treating you alright_, she wants to ask, but she can see that they aren't. She doesn't need his confirmation. Acutely aware of the fact that he's shirtless, she bites the inside of her lip as she comes to stand before him. "I'm so sorry," she mutters, her hand reaching out again as if of its own accord, and when her fingers graze his neck, he flinches away under her touch. She pulls away, grimacing. "I'm sorry. - What did they do to you?"

She takes him in, noticing a white patch of gauze where she's seen that horrible harpoon stick out of him. At least they treated the wound, she thinks, before her gaze wanders further and falls on a band of dark scratches wiggling down one side of his torso, down to the hip. The lines are oddly gleaming, and she realizes then that his skin is damp.

"He's of the sea," Sheila Bennett pipes up behind her, as if she's in her head somehow, "we have to make sure he gets enough time in the water, even now."

"How kind," it escapes Caroline, but Bonnie's Grams doesn't seem to hear her, or at least she doesn't comment.

"Did they do this?" she asks Enzo, needing to hear his voice, needing to make sure he hasn't lost his cocky aloofness as if that could be a sign all is well. (When clearly it isn't.)

But he remains so awfully quiet, his gaze too cold.

"Please, talk to me." She takes a swift step forward, making him stare at her warily. Then she goes on her tiptoes and whispers in his ear, so close to the skin that she can smell the salt and cold of the ocean on him. "I'll get you out of here, I promise. I'll … get you out."

And finally, his teeth flash, if briefly, a bit of life back in his eyes.

"It's alright, Gorgeous. You don't need to make promises you can't keep."

His voice is a breath against her cheek, a soft caress, and she freezes for a moment.

"I owe you, though. You didn't want to help us, but you did. And now you're paying for it. And Bonnie … I don't know where the hell she went, or what the hell is going on, so-"

"She's trying to save Damon."

"What?"

He just looks at her, something in his eyes she can't quite translate. And why the hell can't she read him better? She's always been good about that, reading boys like open books, knowing what they want, manipulating them a tad here and there. But Enzo … He's locked off from her, immune to all her charms.

But it makes sense. Bonnie's sudden departure. Leaving Caroline alone, though with that look of regret on her face. Her best friend is off to save the man that's taken up space in her heart unbidden. Something's been going on between those two, Caroline could see it the instant they met at the hospital - even if she might not remember their initial first meeting. But there was a spark, obvious, electric, and that Bonnie would leave everything to help him now seems only logical.

"Anyways," she mumbles, trying to return her focus back to Enzo just as a cool hand touches her shoulder.

"It's time, Caroline."

She blinks at Sheila, then shakes her off.

"No." Looking at Enzo, her gaze falls on the marks on his torso again. Some of them look fresh. He needs to get the hell out of here. "Not without him."

"You're kinda cute when you're being an idiot," Enzo croaks, and she glares at him.

"I'm just trying to save your ass."

His smirk is disarming. Flustered, she clenches her hands into fists, then faces Sheila again, whose stance has become more insistent.

"I won't repeat myself."

"He doesn't deserve this, and you know it. The Grams I know is a good person! Not this crappy nightmare version of a faerie. I thought faeries are supposed to be the good guys. But you … you're torturing him, and for what?"

"Enough now."

Sheila's hands wrap around Caroline's arms, pulling her away, but she's not ready to give up or give in. She's finally had a chance to see Enzo, to get out of her stupid cell of a cabin, and she's not going back in there without him. She can't.

Besides. If what Enzo said is true, if Bonnie is out there trying to save Damon, she could use help.

And Caroline's always been by her friend's side. She won't leave it now.

Tearing herself free, she rushes back to Enzo, reaching up to try and loosen his binds. But it's not so easy.

"Please work, please work, please work," she mutters under her breath, her fingers trying to dig into the ropes, to pry them apart. But all it does is hurt her hands.

"They won't come off." Sheila sounds too relaxed. "Faerie magic," she explains, her tone matter-of-fact. Caroline has to tense her entire body so as not to slump in on herself in defeat as her gaze meets Enzo's.

"It's alright, love. Believe it or not, I've had worse. I'm living on borrowed time as it is."

"No." She shakes her head, then turns to push Sheila. "Let him go," she urges. "Let him go, let him go, let him go!"

Anger is rising in her like a surge of power, so strong she can barely contain it. White-hot, the feeling rolls over her, erupting into her hands, and with a weird sensation, she falls backwards, shocked to see Sheila lie in a heap before her. The old woman's eyes are closed.

"Impressive." Enzo suddenly seems way more alert than before, even though his tone is rather- casual.

Caroline can only stare.

What the hell just happened? Did … did she do that?

* * *

…

* * *

…

"So? Any changes of mind?"

Guiseppe paces past his son, again and again and again. Shooting Damon sideways glances, he is waiting for a reply. But still, nothing.

The boy - technically a man now, but Guiseppe simply can't see him that way - looks a little the worse for wear. Slumped into his chains, he might even be unconscious. A frown blooms on Guiseppe's face and he steps closer until he can tap Damon's chin.

"Where are the girls?" he hisses. "You know I'll let you go the instant you disclose their whereabouts."

"What about Stefan?"

Ah. There he is. Smirking, Guiseppe steps away again, watching as Damon raises his head, very slowly.

"What about him?"

"Free him and bring him here, then I'll tell you where to find Bonnie."

"Uh uh uh. Not so easy. Do you even know where the girls are anymore? Huh? It's been days. You can't communicate. And my scouts couldn't find either of the girls at their homes."

Maybe he shouldn't have told Damon that. Is he imagining the hint of triumph on the boy's face?

"There's a hiding spot," Damon says, though, and his voice barely carries. He's surrendering to the withdrawal, isn't he? No water _and _no telepathy has always been a rather deadly combination.

"Where?"

Damon swallows, the small motion so strained that Guiseppe has to look away. He better make sure Lily won't find out about this. She'd be livid. That he's doing this to their sons … The woman has always been too sentimental - as evidenced by her attachment to the obnoxious sailor.

"Cave," Damon presses out. "But I'm not gonna say more before Stef is here."

Guiseppe contemplates the offer for a moment. There's a chance he could find that cave on his own. It might just take a while … Looking back at Damon, he squares his shoulders. The boy should have another couple hours or so in him, possibly half a day. There's no rush. He might as well have his men take a look first.

Grinning to himself, he waves Damon off.

"Suit yourself," he says. "I'll come back later. Let you stew a bit longer."

"Come back here!" Damon hollers after him, and it feels too good to hear the desperation finally break out of him.

Guiseppe keeps walking until he reaches the shallow end of the cave. Then he dives back into the water, letting it sweep him away.

* * *

…

Bonnie has been going back and forth between Damon's secret hideout and the open water. But after days spent searching for him to no avail, and no granola bars left, she's growing more than tired.

These past few days have gone by in a blur, like a dream half-remembered. Part of her still can't wrap her head around the fact that she's part faerie, part of the sea - not that she's ever gotten any confirmation of it being true.

And like most everything else, it doesn't matter anyways.

_~ Where are you, Damon? ~_

She doesn't expect an answer. There hasn't been one since she's set out to find him, and she's almost relieved that Enzo hasn't contacted her about it, because she wouldn't know what to tell him.

Which leads her to another thought she'd rather ignore. Grams. The woman who's raised her for most of her life, who's always been kind and caring, has shown a side Bonnie simply doesn't want to believe is true.

But she has seen it for herself, how Grams' people (her people …) captured Damon's friend. And why does she even care? It's not like she knows him much.

He risked his life for her. And Caroline. They both did.

Enzo didn't deserve Grams' treatment. And while Bonnie has tried telling herself that it's a "faeries against sea people" thing, that maybe Grams' hands were tied, somehow she knows it's not true.

It seemed a lot like Sheila Bennett was in charge …

A searing sound pierces her brain, stopping all thoughts, and Bonnie crumbles to her knees, heaving in breaths as she tries to fight the sensation.

It takes her a few seconds, but then …

_~ Damon? Is that you? Damon! ~_

It has to be. Scrambling up, hands clamped over her ears, she stumbles forward to the entrance of the cave and forces herself to dive into the sea again. She needs to use this while she can, let it guide her through the ocean and toward him.

_~ Where are you? Show me … ~_

As the dark water envelopes her, her vision does a weird thing, her mind opening wider, and she can see farther than should be possible.

A path. She's not sure it's really there. But she can see it so clearly. And it's leading straight to him.

* * *

…

* * *

...

It's four days later that he finally sees her again. She appears before him like an apparition, and for a moment he thinks that that's what she is: just a figment of his imagination, conjured up by his failing mind.

"Damon?"

There's an ache spreading in him at the concern in her face when she steps closer, so close until she can reach out a hand and … touch him. Her fingers grazing his cheek feel too soft to be real, too gentle.

"Bonnie?"

"I'm here to get you out, okay?"

He shakes his head, grimacing at the pain it causes. But at least it clears the fog in his mind a bit. She's really here, with him - instead of safe with her grandma.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"'Thanks for coming for me, Bonnie.' - You're welcome, Damon," she intones, busying herself with his chains and cursing under her breath. When she looks at him, wet hair plastered to the sides of her face, dripping rivulets of salty water, he can't help but smile.

"You did, didn't you?"

"Ugh, I can't get these things to open. - What?"

Her puzzled look as she stops what she's doing and stares at him is the cutest thing. And he's an idiot. He's fallen for her completely, hasn't he?

"You came for me."

Her eyebrows arch up high, rising almost to her hairline, and he has to smile, despite how weak and torn up he is. This girl came back for him.

"Silly fae," he mumbles, chuckling softly when he earns himself the lightest slap for it.

"Hey!"

"BonBon, I told you I'm doing all this to get you to safety, away from my father, and what do you do? You run straight back into danger."

"I couldn't just leave you to die."

"Die?" He chuckles until he coughs, and her features soften, almost making him grow worried. He can't be doing too great if she's growing soft on him like that.

"Enzo said that's what the signal meant."

"Oh."

Crap. He hadn't realized he was transponding at all, certainly not "the signal." This really doesn't look too good then.

"I can't get these things to open," she pants out, unaware of his thoughts, and when she leans in until her damp body is pressed against his, he can't help but sigh, the combination of water and her too much.

"Try it with the keys," he mutters, his nonchalant tone making her freeze and pull back.

"What?"

"The keys."

"I heard you before, you idiot. But what do you mean, keys? They're not just lying around here somewhere, are they?"

"Of course they are. It's not like I can reach them, so who cares. Nobody had you on their radar, though, little faerie."

"Don't call me that," she huffs out, but he's dead certain she meant to say something way harsher. "Why didn't you mention that before? Care to share where the key is?"

He jerks his head toward where dear Conrad likes to stash it, in a large conch toward the back of the cave - far away, yet close enough for Damon to constantly be taunted by it in his field of vision. She doesn't need to be told twice and races forward to be back with him in seconds. She inserts the key into the chains with a satisfying click, and he's just starting to allow himself to think they'll actually make it, when - with a splash - Conrad reappears by the entrance and hoists his massive form toward them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Aw, come on, Conrad. You're ruining the moment here, can't you see that?"

The man doesn't care for his attempt at humor, and neither does Bonnie. In a rush, she finishes unchaining him, and allows him to lean heavily against her as he adjusts to being free again. He can barely carry his own damn weight anymore. It doesn't help that his feet still hurt like hell.

"Your father will be pleased to see that we finally found the girl for him."

"One of them," Damon pipes up, and Bonnie glares at him. He shrugs. "What? It's not like we're gonna let him actually get us, right?"

With that, he forces himself to straighten up and using his last ounce of strength, he pulls Bonnie with him and hobbles deeper into the cave.

"What are you doing?" she calls out as he drags her along. "We'll be trapped back here."

"Trust me, BonBon. This is the only way."

They run until they reach the beginnings of a low underwater river. Behind them, Conrad is cackling, making Damon's blood curdle.

"You'll drown down there, you know that, kid! Even we need to come up for air eventually, and that river? It'll only send you deeper under the earth."

"What is he talking about? Damon?" Bonnie tugs at him, then pulls, finally making him stop. When she looks at him, her eyes are gleaming in the dark. He sighs but holds her gaze.

"He's … sort of right. This river goes deeper under the rocks. But, since we were young, Stefan and I always thought that there's gotta be a way out again somewhere. It's just … no one has found it yet."

Her eyes widen. But there's no time.

"Come on," he urges, and for some odd reason, Bonnie deflates and doesn't bail.

"Oh my gosh," she says, "is there really no other way? I don't wanna die, Damon."

"Me neither," he says, and before they continue on their way, he pulls her close, placing a hand against her hair, her neck, feeling her galloping pulse, and he presses a harsh and urgent kiss onto her cool earthy lips. His heart is beating way too fast when he leans back a little again, coming up for air. "So let's stay alive," he whispers, smiling as she stares at him, her cheeks now flushed. "Together."

* * *

...

Caroline is shaking like a leaf, standing frozen, and Enzo has a hard time getting through to her.

He has no idea _what _she is, but her little stunt was indeed impressive, to say the least. She blasted that old fae like it was nothing.

Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to know what she is, either, and it's given her a case of shock.

"Come on, Gorgeous," he urges, nodding at his binds again as if to show her that he could still use some help. And finally, her eyes peel away from the woman on the floor and her gaze wanders up to him.

"I …" The sole word is as shaky as she is.

"I know, love. A surprising turn of events. Maybe you could channel that same sentiment again to help me with these here?"

He pulls at his tied wrists despite the pain it causes and gives her the best smile he can muster. It's bloody lousy, but who is he kidding? It's been days, and he's exhausted, his shoulder sore, his side raw where the old fae-bitch has practiced her magic tricks on him.

Clenching his jaw, he forces himself to focus back on the girl. Her eyes are wide, her mouth slightly open as she stares at him, the wheels in her head finally beginning to turn again.

He doesn't know how long before the rest of the faerie folk on board will realize something is up, or before the old hag wakes up again. So they better hurry.

"I can't," Caroline breathes, her eyes flitting over him. Her hands are hovering before her like she's afraid to use them.

"Of course you can."

"But … she said she used faerie magic to chain you, I don't even know-"

"Find a bloody knife then! Don't make it more difficult than it needs to be."

Without warning, her face scrunches up and she starts … giggling. Flustered, he scoffs, trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with her. Straining against the ropes around his ankles and wrists again even though his body is fighting his every move more and more, he glares at her.

"What is so bloody funny?"

"Nothing." She half-chokes out, then giggles yet again.

Exhaustion makes him stop what he's doing, and he sinks into his restraints as much as they allow, which is not much. They're so tight they manage to keep him upright. Still, his sudden quiet makes Caroline sober up.

"I'm sorry," she stammers. "It's just … here I am in a fairy tale - with real faeries and merpeople and all kinds of things that shouldn't _be_ real, but the really crazy thing is me! - Also, you said 'bloody knife,' like, a knife that is bloody? I just thought it was funny …" Her voice trickles out the longer she looks at him, the giggle gone, the smile washed off her face. "I'm sorry," she repeats, hanging her head when he can't bring himself to show compassion.

Closing his eyes, he sighs, trying to come up with something to say that doesn't make him seem like the utterly selfish arsehole that he is, but before he has a chance to open his mouth, she puts a hand to his lips to shush him. Her eyes are as big as saucers at this point, and she points toward the open door.

"I think someone's coming. - What do we do?"

When she pulls her hand away again, flushing when he squints at her, he catches himself almost missing her soft touch.

"Bloody perfect. Somehow they'll manage to blame me for this."

"I'll have to get you out before they get here then."

She tiptoes over to the fae and hunches onto her knees next to her. Then she begins patting her down for what seems like a too damn long time.

"Find anything useful, or you just into her?"

Her scowl makes him smile despite himself.

"She's like a grandma to me!"

"Hate to break it to you, but your grandma has a mean streak." He bucks against his restraints, grimacing when he aggravates his injury. The banter dies on his lips.

Caroline's features turn from angry to concerned, and somehow, he doesn't like it. He wants her sass back, and her fire. Not this.

Then her expression changes yet again as she pulls out what looks like a small dagger and holds it up to him triumphantly.

"This might work. Even enchanted ropes can be cut, right?"

"Only one way to find out."

But before she has a chance to begin cutting, a shadow fills the door, and a handful of faeries appear soon after, their gazes falling on grandma on the floor.

Enzo makes a face. He raises himself up, juts out his chin, defiance building up in him. Curling his hands into fists he tries to brace himself, for what he doesn't know, when Caroline gets to her feet and slowly walks back until she half-bumps into him.

"What happened here?" A meager looking male fae asks, making his way over to them both, and Enzo can feel Caroline press her body more and more against him. His breath hitches.

"She was … trying to help me cut his ropes. I … I think the magic in them backfired or something."

He's almost proud of her for this lie. But the faerie folk don't seem to buy it. Scrutinizing them both with their beady eyes, they get closer and closer, a cold creeping into Enzo with every step they take.

"We're not stupid."

"You sure?" Enzo can't help but pipe up, and Caroline turns a bit to glare at him.

"Not helping," she hisses and he shrugs. Not that he's sorry.

The main fae daggers him with his looks, then blurs closer in the blink of an eye and shoves Caroline out of the way.

"Hey!"

She sounds indignant, but Enzo can't look at her. The fae has cocked his head, taking him in. Any second now …

With a snapping feeling, Enzo's head whips back as the man hits him over the side of the head, hard.

He's not quite sure what happens next.

The fae speaks a few words, and a searing pain erupts in Enzo's shoulder, his side. But when he's certain that whatever magic the creature is using will rip him apart and kill him, it all stops again as a loud yell pierces his ears.

Caroline.

He tries to look past the fae to her. He tries to move. Throwing himself into the ropes, he almost rips his hands off - or at least that's what it feels like.

The next thing he knows is that he's free, tumbling to the ground like a puppet cut from its strings. When he manages to raise himself up a bit to look, Caroline is kneeling before him, heaving in gulps of air as her wide eyes bore into him, and when he shoots a glance past her, scanning the room, everyone else is lying in heaps on the floor, just like the old fae.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Caroline mutters, over and over again, her hands shaking as she raises them up to cover her face. Following an instinct, he grabs them, holding them tight.

"Look at me, love."

"I … I think I killed them. Oh god … what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," he says, his voice thankfully firm. "Nothing is wrong with you, Gorgeous. You just saved my life."

She looks up at him then, so lost that his heart opens up of its own accord, allowing a bit of feeling in, after decades and decades of a strange numbness, and his lips curl upward the slightest bit despite their situation.

He wants to say something else, but a sudden wave of nausea and exhaustion washes over him, exacerbating the pain roaring in him, and he slumps forward where she catches him. He wants to raise himself up, pull himself together, but it's becoming awfully difficult.

"We gotta go," Caroline whispers into his ear, urgent now, more alert. "Please, Enzo. I'll help you, but you gotta help me too."

Raising his head, he manages to look at her, an ache spreading inside of him at rapid speed.

"I'm not sure I … You might have to go al-"

She cuts him off, shaking her head.

"You can. You have to. I'm not leaving without you - and I can't stay. Not after this, whatever this is."

He gives the briefest of nods before he forces himself to get back on his feet, staggering a bit as he does.

"I don't even know where to go, though," she admits, a desperate grin on her face. "Out there, everything is just water, I'm not the greatest swimmer, and … I just don't know what to do …"

He clicks his tongue, allowing her to put his arm around her shoulders and cling to it as she helps him stand, then walk.

"Don't worry, Gorgeous. We'll figure something out."

"Yeah?" She scoffs. "What?"

"Well, for one, it's good you're with someone of the sea, so swimming won't be a problem."

"You can barely stand."

"There is that."

She raises an eyebrow, the expression giving him hope that she's not as traumatized and paralyzed as it first seemed.

"I can still swim, though."

He leans his head against hers, too exhausted to care. She doesn't seem to mind, and it makes his insides grow a little fuzzy.

"Enzo … I'm not sure-"

"I might just need a moment …"

"We'll start with one of the lifeboats then. You think you can make it over to one?"

He rolls his eyes, if only inwardly.

She's right, though. Maybe a bloody lifeboat is a better start. He really does need that moment, he thinks as the world is slowly fading into nothing.

"Alright, Caroline Forbes."

"Good ..."

He doesn't see the smile brightening her face, taking away some of the shock and darkness. But he can feel her grip on him tighten as she leans into him more, and somehow it's the best thing he's felt in … ever.

* * *

…

_Thanks for reading._


	14. Protector

_Short, unedited. But hey, no crazy awful wait. (I gotta admit that Outer Banks has sucked me in something fierce, so I'm currently reading and reviewing fanfics for that. And I added a short one of my own. So yeah, busy busy.)_

* * *

…

Lexi does _not _like this place. Scrubbing the floors, cleaning the tanks … She should have never gotten in trouble with the cops. Now she has to do 200 friggin hours of community service. And who on earth thought it was a good idea to place her here? At the Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanic Preservation? Ugh. She hates the sea, hates it with a passion. All the slimy stinky sea creatures, the beach sand feeling like chalk between the toes. She shivers at the mere thought.

"Oh, Lexi, love. Good. You're almost done here. Because I do have another task for you today."

Lexi closes her eyes so as not to roll them. Valerie, her "boss" has that saccharine tone she always uses when she gives Lexi another awful cleaning job. Last time she ran into her, she had to clean the restrooms, which was _not _fun. She wonders what the Brit has in store for her today.

The woman sidles over, a fake grin on her immaculate features, and Lexi grins back as best as she can.

"Of course," she says. Because going for "pleasant" sometimes helps her to get out early. "Where do you need me?"

"Down in the cellar, love. Have you been to the cellar?"

"Uh, no …"

"You'll like it. Promise. It's where we keep the specimens that have not yet been cleared to be viewed by the public."

"Oh?" She has no friggin clue what that even means.

"If you're lucky, you may even see some of them. But they do like to hide."

Lexi's brow wrinkles. But she picks up her cleaning supplies, and carts the bucket over to where Valerie is leading the way to an elevator and follows her in.

"Like what?" she asks. "Sharks, or something? Deep sea fish?"

"Something like that …" Valerie chuckles, the sound oddly ominous and a cold shiver creeps into Lexi. "Anyway. What I'd like you to do is clean the outer side of the largest tank, please. Just … steer clear of the back part of it. The creature in it is rather … shy."

A shy shellfish perhaps? Lexi has to suppress a chuckle at her stupid alliteration joke.

"Yeah, sure," she says instead and when the elevator stops with a ding, she exits, following Valerie down a gloomy hallway, dim lights turning on in the distance with every step they take.

"Come back up when you're done. Shouldn't take you longer than an hour or two."

"Kay. Sure. Should I bother with the inside, too?"

"No. Outside will do. Thanks, Lexi. And when you're done, you can go. I'll mark it down as a double shift."

"But …" She's only been here an hour so far today …

"Extra bonus," Valerie says with a wink. "Because I know I can trust you with this slightly more delicate job." With that she points to a huge tank that has appeared before them, and Lexi briefly has time to wonder what the hell could be so delicate about a cleaning job when her boss beams at her again, then bids her goodbye and stalks off, her high heels pounding the floor like she's a lot heavier than she is.

* * *

…

His lips still hot from when he kissed Bonnie, Damon urges her deeper and deeper into the depth of the cave.

She tasted so good, he thinks, before he forces himself to return his focus to the river before them. Soon, they'll have to jump in. Soon, the water will drag them with it, further and further, then under the rock. It'll be dark down there. Even darker than up here. It'll be claustrophobic. He'll be going with a faerie.

And he'll be going even though his body is already threatened to give out.

At least Conrad has long ceased calling after them, too aware that they're running into their own demise. It's a death sentence, Conrad is of course aware that that's all Guiseppe will care about now anyways: to see Bonnie dead, and well, if that means his ornery older son dies too, he won't mind.

But Damon doesn't want Bonnie to die. He can't leave her down here, can't allow his body to give up on him because she needs him.

There's only one way out now - if there is a way - and that by going forward. Surely, Conrad will see to it that the entrance will remain guarded for the next few weeks, maybe months. The bastard's always been suspicious like that.

Oh well.

"Damon?"

Bonnie's voice pulls him back, and his blinks, clearing his vision.

"What do we do know?"

He blinks again. It's difficult to follow her. What does she mean? But then he sees it. Of course. They're at the end of the narrow precipice that's been running along the river, and before them … is a large gaping hole. It's almost black.

"Now, pretty fae, we'll have to dive into the water, of course."

"Damon, I don't know. I don't think … I don't think I can do this. It's so dark. What if we get lost. What if-"

"Shhhh," he makes, beaming at her. "We won't get lost. But since I can't communicate telepathically at the moment, I'll need you to hold onto me through this. Can you do that? Hold my hand and don't ever let go. Under no circumstances. You understand?"

Bonnie's eyes are wide, the whites gleaming. Her panic is so palpable that his own heart is beating too fast. He needs to try and be calm for her, because she needs him to.

"What if we die?"

"We won't. Bonnie. Trust me. I can breathe for the both of us for a while, okay? Conrad was being dramatic. It's not like we'll need air again all that soon."

He hopes she won't ask him how soon.

"No?"

"No. Now, let's go."

He tugs at her, but she pulls him back. A vein in her neck is pulsing like crazy and he can't help but stare at it, mesmerized.

"So, we won't be able to communicate?"

He grimaces, shaking his head.

"Not yet. My dear father saw to it that that won't be possible for a while." He won't tell her that he's not even sure he'll ever be able to communicate like that again, just like he hasn't told her that his feet feel like they're burning. The water will be a welcome relief. The damage the jellyfish did to him, it's the least of his worries right now, but it might mark him permanently - _if _he manages to survive the river.

"Come on, BonBon. Let's go for a swim," he says, kissing her once more for good measure, and this time, they don't part for a while. They cling to each other for what feels like seconds, minutes, hours, and Damon feels himself floating away, connecting with her as he feels her soft lips, her warm skin under his touch, the light tickle of her hair …

Then, reluctantly, he pulls away, and smiles at her again.

"Shall we?" he says, and doesn't wait for her reply. With a quick tug, he pulls her with him and with a loud splash, they land in the water, the river washing them away so fast they have to duck and dive so as not to bash their heads in against the rock.

Then darkness envelopes them, and all he can feel is the cold water, and Bonnie's warm hand in hers. And it's so quiet, so calm like it's never been before. Complete and utter silence. No one in his brain but him.

Until somehow, strangely, there's a part of her, like an essence, non-verbal, but there. And he has to smile to himself, not fearing the river, not fearing the uncertainty, or the pain raging in his body.

Because she's with him.

* * *

…

Panting, Caroline rows and rows the tiny lifeboat away from the faerie ship, trying not to think too much about what happened on board. But when she looks ahead of her, where Enzo is leaning slumped against the inner wall of the small boat, his teeth gritted against whatever pain is burning in his body, it's hard not to think about the ship and the faerie's and her own crazy powers.

Although, powers? Does she have powers? It doesn't feel like it now? Besides? In this world of fairy tale creatures, what kind of creature could she even be?

"A protector," Enzo says, as if he's read her mind, and she shoots him a glance, licking her lips before opening and closing her mouth, too flustered to find words.

"What?"

"Maybe that's what you are," he says, his sonorous voice sounding as exhausted as he looks. And while she wants to tell him to just close his eyes and rest, she's too curious about what he has to say.

"A protector? What's that supposed to mean? Is that some kind of mythical creature too?" She laughs a bit too loud, puffing away stray hairs that have fallen into her face.

Her arms are growing tired. She'd really like to be a boring sidekick right about now, someone who can be scooped up and rescued by the protagonist, who could then please also do the rowing for her, and thank you very much.

"No," Enzo simply says, and she needs a moment to remember where they were in their short conversation."

"No? So, what? Am I not a mythical creature? Or … _being_? Creature sounds kinda offensive, maybe you don't like the term. I'm sure Bonnie won't like being called a creature. Yeah, she definitely won't. I mean—"

"Caroline?"

"Huh?"

"Has anyone ever told you you talk too much?"

"Excuse me?" Her indignation dies down all too quickly when she sees how his smirk has already evaporated into nothing, and she can't help but stare at his raw side that is gleaming in the moonlight with every shallow breath he takes. "So, a protector is what, exactly?" she asks, opting to distract him from what surely has to be agony, rather than telling him how unfair it is to call her out for being rambly.

"A human, tasked with protecting a magical being."

"Magical being …" Caroline contemplates the term before she realizes what she's doing - which is, not paying attention to what Enzo is really saying. "Wait. And, who'd task me with doing that? And what magical being. You?" She scoffs, but when expression grows sad all too quickly when Enzo replies.

"Not me, gorgeous. I'm just a Turned, worth nothing in the grand scheme of things."

"Now that sounds awfully harsh and self-deprecating. It'd suit you well to think a little higher of yourself."

"Caroline."

"Hm?"

"Just shut up."

"Hey!"

He smiles, the expression too disarming. Besides, she's tired from rowing and simply doesn't have the energy to fight.

His smile really is cute, even if it's a tad too wan for her liking.

"You hanging in there?"

"If you'll continue to play the knight to my damsel," he says, "yeah. I'll be fine."

She has to smile at that, too, and looks away to hide the heat that's crept into her cheeks.

"So, back to the protector thing. What am I protecting? And who tasked me with it?"

"Don't know. I think it's Bonnie, though, the one you're meant to protect."

Somehow, all the words coming out of his mouth sound too much like a silly story to her, and she can't help but break into a chuckle. Unperturbed, he continues.

"When I told you that Bonnie had gone to help Damon, something in you … awoke. It had been there before, that's why you were by her side through all of this and possibly way before. But when you realized the kind of danger she could be, you found a way to get off the boat."

"I was trying to free _you_."

"Well … not to sound ungrateful, but it took you a while."

She wants to snap at him, wants to explode. Because isn't she rowing his lazy ass to safety here? Didn't she do whatever the hell it was she did to get him the hell off that ship?

But he's right, too. It took her days before she finally found the courage to insist more strongly that she needed to see him. Days. Days in which they'd tortured him, while she'd rested in her damn cabin, waiting for someone to get her out of this nightmare.

Until she'd realized no one was gonna come. She'd have to be her own hero.

"I'm sorry," she says now, and giving in to the exhaustion, she pauses her movements and sinks in on herself. "You're right. I should have helped you earlier."

"It's alright, Gorgeous."

"No, it's not. I … I was … scared, I guess. Overwhelmed. If I had pulled myself together earlier, I could have helped you before—"

"You did save me, Caroline. And you haven't once asked anything of me in return. It's more than anyone has ever done for me," he interrupts her, and the feverish gleam in his eyes is almost too much. She can't look away, though. Scooting over to him, she feels his forehead, smiling sadly when he backs away.

"You're burning."

"Nothing the sea can't cool."

She's not so sure, but she won't argue now. Looking at him now, she bites her lip, then scans their surroundings. She can still see the faerie ship in the distance. It won't take them too long to get to them, and they can't be there for when that happens. But she doubts Enzo can swim far, or anywhere. The ocean might just claim them.

What choice do they have.

"We need to go," she mutters, strangely relieved when he lets her put a hand to his cheek. "If I really am such a protector, maybe I'm meant to protect more than just one person. Come on."

She tugs at him, helping him stand until the boat sways dangerously underneath them, and she swallows hard.

Does she really know what she's doing?

"They're gonna come for us soon."

"I know," he mutters. "Don't worry, Gorgeous, I got you."

"You got _me_?" she wants so ask, or maybe she does, her tone incredulous, but before she can quite process what's happening, he pulls her with him and she gasps, holding her breath as they break through the water and fall into the dark depth below.

But strangely, she's not afraid, not fighting for breath. Clinging to Enzo, she lets him pull her with him, trusting in his every movement, and when his lips press down on hers, she doesn't fight it, either, just accepts it, accepts his air, and him.

Maybe drowning isn't so bad after all. And maybe she isn't actually drowning. Maybe, just maybe, he was right, and she is Bonnie's protector, and that means she has a task to fulfill. She has to find her best friend.

...


End file.
